In the words of Kermit the Frog, “It’s not easy bein’ green.” How wise that little guy was. But what IS easy is to be green with envy, and this is something I’ve discovered about myself since becoming a “published author.” When you’re an author in this age of rampant social media, it is both easy and tempting to constantly compare yourself to the MORES: the more talented, the more prolific, the more poetic, the more 6-starred- reviews-worthy, the more fans, the more Facebook friends, the more Twitter followers, the more Instagram likes, the more “Best of” list winners.
I will be the first to admit that such lime-green envy is self-defeating. I know, because at times, the green-eyed monster has swallowed up my determination and spitted out every last spark of creativity I thought I ever had.
I like the lyrics that Kermit the Frog sings in the second stanza of his famous Muppet song:
It’s not easy bein’ green
It seems you blend in
With so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over
Cause you’re not standing out
Like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky.
In this respect, National Novel Writing Month has been good for me. I don’t have time to do anything but think of how to come up with 1500 words per day. I’m not competing with anyone else; I’m competing with myself. And in this early stage of the novel writing process, I’m not trying to stand out. I’m just trying to pen black words onto a blank page of ruled, white paper.
On Day 23, my word count total = 2,266.
Twenty-three days down, seven to go.
Green Silo, photo by Rosemary Ann Davis
#NaNoWriMo18