Trust in yourself. Trust in your manuscript. #amwriting.

Lately, in an attempt to stretch out my sore shoulder and neck, I’ve been doing yoga.  A colleague told me about “Yoga With Adriene” on YouTube and it’s really been helping.

One of the lessons Adriene imparts is to trust. Trust that you are doing what you need to be doing. Trust that there’s a reason you are on this journey.

The same can be said for our manuscripts.

Very often, usually once I reach the dreaded middle part of the book, I begin to doubt. Did I plot with enough detail? Should I have plotted less? Are my conflicts genuine? That sort of stuff. I try to write through it, but the stress is real. It has even stalled me at times.

But here’s the thing. It always works out.

No matter how a plot may derail, no matter if I suddenly decide I hate all my characters and they need to endure savage torments to appease my anger, it always works out. I try to trust I’m on this journey for a reason.

That trust usually brings about one of two outcomes. Outcome one? I finish the book.

Outcome two? I realize there’s a problem with the book.

Either way, I can work with it. Obviously, outcome one is the preferred one, but outcome two isn’t so bad. We want to recognize the problems with our stories, right? Otherwise, how else can we fix them?

Any time I have doubted myself or my manuscript, I enter a period of uncertainty. I may have to step away from my book for a while to clear my head. However, every time I trust that I’m supposed to be writing and that I’m supposed to be telling this story, I manage to work out the kinks. Sometimes it takes a while and that’s okay. I firmly believe you can’t rush a book.

With every book I’ve written, I always reach a “Eureka” moment. Suddenly, I can breathe again and everything makes sense. I know I get to that place because of my sense of trust. It guides me and it helps me correct my mistakes. I try to take that trust into every aspect of my life, and when I can, I’m a lot happier.

I trust I am on the right path. I trust my decisions will result in lessons I need to learn.

I trust in myself and in my manuscript.