Help really helps

I received some really good support for my writing this past weekend. It came at a perfect time when I was getting balled up trying to follow a book I was using for drafting my plot sketches. Since I couldn’t seem to realize it wasn’t the only way or absolute authority on how to go about it I was having difficulty. I was having enough trouble following the books guidelines on how I thought it should be done, that I began to think I didn’t have a valid story idea.
That’s were I was pulled aside and told these books are a dime a dozen and I didn’t have to follow it exactly to the letter.
“But, they are the experts.”
“It’s just one book. It’s just one way of doing it. It doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong if you do it your own way and not exactly as they say.”
There was more discussion where I said a lot more buts…and it finally came down to me being asked to read my prologue after giving a verbal run down of what my entire story was about.
I read two short paragraphs and stopped, thinking he didn’t really want to hear more. He did. He made me read the entire prologue. When I finished and stopped, I looked over at him. His look surprised me. It was just the expression he should have had after what I had just read and then he went on to comment. He said all the things I could have hoped to be said after just reading that particular opening and his expression told me it was true. He then went on to say that he could see where the story would go and to just lay out my ideas into a chapter form. I could put that silly book I was trying to use away and just get started.
It was so good to hear.
I had already gotten something close to that same support. After being corrected about my perceptions of some recent writings, I was pretty much given deadlines when each chapter up to the first five should be completed. It was good solid advice that I can appreciate and can work with. I had tried to de-rail myself and somehow was gifted with the encouragement I needed to get back on track.
I’ve worked my first few chapter outlines and I have my chapter deadlines posted on the left hand corner of my laptop. My chapter two deadline is coming up soon. I might have missed it without this wonderful help.
I’ve got some writing to do.
TT