[MAKING THE LEAP] Finding Your One Thing

One of my favorite movie scenes is from the film City Slickers. In the scene Jack Palance’s character, Curly, a grizzled cowboy with a cigarette dangling from his lips, is riding on horseback alongside Billy Crystal’s city character, Mitch, who is in the throes of a midlife crisis.

Curly turns to Mitch and asks, “Do you know what the secret to life is?”

Mitch eagerly responds, “No, what?”

Curly holds up one, leather–gloved finger. “This.”

“Your finger?”

“One thing. Just one thing.” Curly pauses. “You stick to that and everything else don’t mean shit.”

“That’s great, but...” Mitch shrugs his shoulders slightly. “What’s the one thing?”

Curly points his finger at Mitch. “That’s what you got to figure out.”

Finding My One Thing

I have dedicated this year to finding my purpose, my one thing. There’s a lot that competes for my attention in writing, but finding my voice, the writing that makes me, well me, is this year's major pursuit.

I spent all last year working on a manuscript which, quite honestly, I would never pick up and read if I saw it in a bookstore. Now isn't that interesting? In part, it was a cathartic project of release. But I also wrote it because I thought I should write fiction . . . right? Needless to say, it wasn't very good. The recipe was off—one heaping cup wrong motives, two cups lack of skill, half cup lack of interest, two heaping tablespoons self-indulgence. Mix, stir and simmer for twelve months.

But I do believe I have a unique voice, a gift to share, and as Curly so wisely said, that’s what I got to figure out.

Of course, the question Mitch probably had, the one only he could answer was, how. How do you find your one thing? I don't have the answers, but here are some ways I’m going about it:

Say A Little Prayer: Anne Lamott in Bird By Bird, talks about how she says a prayer before she starts writing each day, asking for help to get her self out of the way, to be a conduit to what needs to be written. I try to do the same. It's still a discipline, and I haven't cracked the code yet, but I believe she's onto something-- a spiritual connection in our writing process.
Read…A Lot: Most writers are readers, so this isn't revolutionary, but I am making a conscious effort to read books--fiction, non-fiction, writing books, all different kinds-- hoping they will teach me different styles of expression so I can learn more about what I like and what I don’t like.
Write…A Lot: And boy, am I writing some bad stuff, but I’m writing. I’m trying out new styles, a different voice, playing and not feeling like everything I write needs to be a masterpiece, giving myself permission to fail, or maybe even succeed. Towards that end, I started a new blog—just my writing, just to practice and have fun.
Block Out The Noise: As Curly suggested, the “one thing” is for me to figure out. This means sometimes I have to shut out the noise and, for me, that means disengaging just a wee bit from the online world, so I can hear my voice, discover what I’m supposed to be doing.
Listen To The Experts But…: There are a lot of gurus out there telling us how to build a better blog, how to attract a wider audience, how to be a better writer. Ironically, almost all of them, while touting their advice, encourage you, the writer, to be the one who finds your own voice, your originality, do whatever it is you do best. So while I listen to their advice, I try not to copy it. After all, they got where they are by finding and employing their one thing!

What about you? Have you found your one thing? What does that mean to you? How are you going about finding it? Or, if you found it, share with the rest of us a little of your journey. We are community. But we are made up of such creative, gorgeous individuality. What is your one thing?

City Slickers One Thing Clip on YouTube

Tags: encouragement, inspiration, mission, motivation, purpose, writing

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Comment by T.J. Loveless on March 8, 2013 at 3:02am: We have talked so many times about our journeys, have we not?

As always, you write so beautifully. YOU inspire ME. Remind me to look at the world, and see it. I'm a forest kind of gal, and I often forget to take a closer look at the trees.

Enjoy this year. I did my journey this past year, and I regret nothing. Lost my fears, accepted the messages I feel I have to write, learned so very much.

I wish only the same for you, my very talented friend.

Comment by Ann Jewett on March 8, 2013 at 12:09am: Loved this! City Slickers is one of my most favorite movies...I've watched it a million times! Great post, nicely written!

Comment by Joanne Barney on February 6, 2013 at 8:27pm: I like Olga's comment about changing your perspective on your story. It sometimes works. I had what I thought was a great idea for a character, an old lady, but I couldn't make the story go anywhere. My son, a Clive Cussler fan, said that I'd never sell that story unless I put some blood in it. So I added a serial killer, and the story took off--for me, at least, and for the few folks who have read it as an ebook. But I love it, had a good time writing it, and I'll continue to attempt to get my killer and my old lady into more peoples' consciousnesses. Romance is selling well, Julie--just a suggestion!

Comment by Julie Luek on February 6, 2013 at 8:43am: Olga, thanks for taking the time to write your thoughts. I've actually mulled this very thing over-- recreating the story from a different angle, adding completely new elements. If I do pick it up again, this is what I'll have to do.

Comment by Olga Godim on February 5, 2013 at 8:24pm: Julie, sometimes, when you don't want to continue with some piece of your writing, it's your subconscious talking. It tells you something is seriously wrong with the piece. If you want to salvage it, you might try to re-work it completely, maybe from a different perspective or even in a different genre. Add another story to it and interweave both stories. For example: let's supposed your original piece is based on an illness. Add a mystery to it or a romance. Maybe a comic twist. Maybe add another protagonist or a pet. The story will change out of necessity. It might even become better. In any case, it will be a good writer's exercise and you might get a couple of magazine pieces out of it.

Comment by Julie Luek on February 5, 2013 at 4:07pm: Hi Elisabeth-- what a kind comment to leave. Thank you.

Comment by Elisabeth Kinsey on February 5, 2013 at 3:02pm: Wonderful piece! Thanks for sharing your honesty and process.

Comment by yassmin ahmed elnazer on February 4, 2013 at 5:34pm: I pretty much try to do the same in addition to drawing and taking care of my pets

Comment by Julie Luek on February 4, 2013 at 4:45pm: Mark-- I absolutely never gave that angle a thought. You've given me something to chew on. The book was a story of a personal issue I struggle with (probably never a good basis for a novel) and so was cathartic to write about. If I were to continue with the book, I would need to really amp up the conflict and drama, and fictionalize the story quite a bit so that I didn't hurt anyone involved. But after I got it out there and let someone read it, I realized I didn't want to work on it anymore. Not sure what that all means. I'm going to mull on your observation quite a bit-- thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts w/ me.

Comment by Mark Hughes on February 4, 2013 at 4:21pm: Julie -

Something else struck me immediately upon reading your bit above - having no interest in a novel you spent a year on. That is a powerful admission, and I immediately think here is a core event or metaphor to a story. Who isn't familiar with the dynamic of being compelled to do something we must do and yet abhor (even if we're the one compelling ourselves)? As such, it's a universal experience, ripe for portrayal. Could that be the one thing: to dramatize that dynamic in a character's life? It's so rich with contradiction, which is a must for powerful stories. Just my dos centavos.

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