May 2019
I have a confession to make. Recently, I’ve come down with a really bad case of comparisonitis. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s often caught by scrolling through your Facebook feed and compulsively comparing your accomplishments to someone else’s.
A little backstory…
I’ve been a member of a number of Facebook groups for writers over the years. When you don’t know too many other writers in real life (this is mostly a solitary job after all) it’s great to be a part of a community to get feedback and pick up some tips to improve.
Writers share what writing programs they use, how to get more words in per day. They share advertising ideas and strategies, cover design tips, and let everyone know when they accomplish a really big goal like finishing a book so we can celebrate with them.
It’s especially fun to see posts from new writers who just finished their very first novel. It reminds me of the day I finished my first one… how I just stared at the screen, trying to decide if the story I’d just written with was any good or not. But I’ve recently noticed a new trend in these Facebook groups I’m in: writers finishing a novel in just a month.
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It’s hard to believe them, sometimes. We fiction writers lie for a living, after all. Did it really only take a month to write? Or thirty days spread out over several months? Still, I often go out and check their books out. They’re pretty good. They often have several typos which makes me wonder about quality vs quantity, but overall, they’re very good.
The fastest I’ve ever written a book was the second in my Blake Jordan series, CREDIBLE THREAT. I wrote and published it in 120 days. That was fast for me. Since then, I’ve tried to write as fast, but just can’t do it. I’ve tried to improve my speed. I’ve bought the best keyboards money can buy. I’ve tried dictation. I’ve tried everything. Nothing worked. I was okay with that. Who wants to write a novel in a month, anyway?
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Then Joe showed up… a new member in one of these Facebook writer’s groups I’m in.
He arrived like Jackson Storm arrives in Cars 3. In the movie, Jackson Storm is a new generation of high-tech racers and runs circles around all of the old timers out there on the track, including our hero, Lightning McQueen. In the same fashion, Joe is a different kind of writer. Forget about writing a new book a month. Joe posted how he was consistently cranking out a new novel every three weeks. Then three weeks became two and after a while, Joe started publishing a new novel every single week.
Last year, Joe put out a total of 50 novels. FIFTY. NOVELS. And so far this year, he’s on track to write a lot more. In the last two and a half weeks, Joe’s written six more.
That’s like a new novel every three days, people.
Every couple of days, when I see a new Facebook group post from Joe, my comparisonitis flares up. My eye starts twitching and I think about my goal for the year: to write two novels and a short story. Then I go and reread the many emails sitting in my inbox from readers asking when the next Blake Jordan novel will be done and then my other eye starts to twitch a little and I wonder about how different life would be if this writing thing could just come easier. If only I could be like Joe, I start to think…
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Comparisonitis is highly contagious. In fact, you more than likely have some variation of it yourself. I’ve thought a lot about it recently and about going after goals in general. On my computer monitor, I have a yellow sticky note. Here’s what it says:
“The purpose of a goal isn’t to hit the goal. The purpose is to become the kind of person who pursues their dreams with an unwavering pursuit.”
Whenever Joe’s posts pop up, I feel the flare up coming on and my eyes starting to do their thing and I shift my focus to this yellow sticky note. I force myself to remember that this is a solitary job. I’m running a race, but there’s nobody else out there on the track with me. I can run faster if I want to or I can walk. Either way doesn’t really matter.
Because what really matters in the end is if I’m happy with the race I’m running.
I force myself to remember my own goals for the year: two novels and one short story. I make myself remember that Joe and I are on two entirely different tracks. He couldn’t write my stories the way I do, just like I couldn’t write his. Joe’s out on his own track somewhere wearing shiny new shoes with rocket boosters attached to them, I imagine.
And that’s great. There are many paths to success. Joe’s found his. I’ll find mine.
I’m out here on my own track with a couple of old sneakers that work just fine for me. Would I like to write faster? Of course I would. But I try to keep my focus on doing what I can with what I have, believing that the writing itself is the only reward I really need.
Because the purpose of a goal isn’t to hit the goal, but to become the kind of person who pursues their dreams with an unwavering pursuit… the only cure to comparisonitis.