We All Have Them!
When my kids were little, they loved the animated TV show The Backyardigans, about a group of anthropomorphic characters who dart off to play in, well, their backyards, using their imaginations to the fullest. It was captivating enough for adults to watch with their children.
And I was jealous.
What a brilliant idea! So simple yet so well executed and how come I hadn’t thought of something like that?? Not that I’m a TV writer, but ideas are ideas and here was an amazing one!
There’s a difference between admiring a story and just downright being jealous of it. Admiration is positive but jealousy, the nasty little green beast, seems to remind us that our own ideas aren’t good enough. We want to be happy for the creators, but damnit, how did they become geniuses?
That’s when I realized it’s not about the idea. I’ve been teaching writing for decades and never once have I come across an idea from a student or coaching client where I think, “meh”. Never. I’m always impressed with their ideas. Every single one.
So why aren’t we all bestselling or award-winning authors?
Because the execution and distribution are a whole different ball game. It takes time, effort and skill to translate your ideas onto the page. It takes networking, marketing and a different skill set to send your work out into the world.
But just knowing that my ideas are good, maybe even brilliant?
That’s what keeps me going.
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