Get in the Game

I’m not much for video games but I have a couple of war simulations that I play occasionally. Each military campaign consists of a series of scenarios with objectives that must be met before you can advance. I was winning each scenario in the current campaign until I came to the last one. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a way to win. After many attempts using many different strategies, I resorted to an old truth which says when all else fails, read the instructions. So, I read the game guide and discovered some strategies and aspects of the game of which I was not aware.

Armed with this new information, I began playing again but I still did not win, at least not immediately. I discovered that knowing what to do wasn’t enough; I still had to play the game, still had to put what I’d learned into practice. I had good ideas and strategies that would help me win but only if I put forth the effort. I had to play the campaign several times with the new information, sometimes failing as I did, before I finally won.

I decided I wanted to become a writer but the task seemed overwhelming. I read books on writing, read blogs by other writers, and attended a writers conference where I learned a tremendous amount of useful information. I now have good ideas and strategies for succeeding in writing but the writing won’t create itself. I must put in the work using the information I’ve been given. I know that even with good information, at times I will fail and my writing will be rejected. But even the failures will be a blessing if I learn from them. No one will read what I don’t write. The time has come to take on the challenge and get in the game.