Tag: learning from setbacks

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Don’t Rush the Process

Earlier this month, my friend suffered a stroke while working. He struggled with the effects of the stroke on his body. After starting physical therapy, he was eager to return to work and his daily routines.

Since I’ve suffered both strokes and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), I decided to share my experience of life after a stroke. Some things may never return to normal and we need to accept our lives have changed.

  • Inpatient
  • Depressed
  • Struggle to focus

As hard as it is to believe, we need to understand there is a reason for the rehabilitation process. It is a time to test our abilities. It is a season to learn how our lives have changed. The hardest part is learning we cannot rush recovery; it takes time to gather and process the information.

It’s a Process

Let’s be honest, no one likes to wait, especially when it comes to life events. We set goals and make plans and hope to achieve them. We are taught that if we put in the work and believe, we can do anything.

And then we are off in a sprint towards our goals. This can be devastating for a person with a TBI or health issues because it puts us at a higher risk of injury. That is why we need to understand the recovery process is a grueling marathon, not a fast-paced sprint.

The rehabilitation process is a systematic way of assessing limitations and strengthening our areas of weakness. Skipping any step in the process will affect an individual negatively in the long run.

My accident humbled me and slowed my life and body down; I had to learn to listen to others who understood my brain injury better than I did. I also needed to trust others and the recovery process.

I learned to take health matters more seriously if I wanted my life to improve. It was clear to me that I needed to slow down to rest my body and my brain. This is also true for writers who are serious about pursuing a writing career.

The Writing Race

If you are like me, you like to be productive as a writer and you understand the need to be proactive as a writer. Isn’t that why so many of us set word count goals for each day?

Unfortunately, some writers focus too much on quantity rather than quality. As a freelancer, I sometimes think I can make more money if I can write more words. However, trying to get more words down quickly can have a negative impact if the quality of the words written is subpar.

FYI, I write using speech dictation software and can write a lot of words in a short amount of time, but my words have to work—they need to be quality content. Clients and their audiences don’t like poor quality or filler words. If our words lack power or influence, then they are useless.

I can also make hasty mistakes by writing quickly and for a perfectionist like myself; careless mistakes are like salt in the wound on top of poor-quality content.  As writers, we cannot rush the writing process or the publication process. Below are some tips to navigate your writing process.

  1. Identify the next step: don’t attempt everything at once.
  2. Give that next step your full attention.
  3. Recognize when it’s good enough.
  4. Take breaks.
  5. Edit later.

I was taught to be professional in my writing at all times. Nothing says amateur like rushing the writing process. Professionals learn the craft and hone their skills. It doesn’t matter if we meet our word count if my words don’t make sense. One of my life hacks is to focus on quality more than quantity.

Quality

if you have ever suffered a health issue or near-death experience, you’ve heard the doctors discuss the “Quality of life” implications and effects that follow life-changing events. I can attest that surviving an accident isn’t always positive if it severely hinders one’s quality of life.

TBI and stroke survivors quickly understand their lives have been changed forever and they must learn to focus on a new quality of life. I will be blunt; my standard of life is not like most people who take simple things for granted.

Many people focus too much on big accomplishments and temporary happiness. The quality of life for a disabled person may be different but is still a valuable life. I try not to focus too much on what I do or don’t have, because I almost lost it all.

  • Health
  • Faith
  • Possessions

This month my friend, who had an epileptic family member (whom I mentioned last month), had another family member diagnosed with brain cancer. This diagnosis came while the family was at the hospital together with the aforementioned family member.

She was so concerned about getting one family back to normal life, that she didn’t expect another to have health issues. Now her doctors are assessing the quality of life for yet another family member after trying to rush through the recovery of another.

Have you learned not rush the process?

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Reaping the Rewards

It took 11 months after my accident before I was finally released from doctors’ care. That season was more than just recovering from a gruesome life-altering accident. It was a time when I had to adjust to my new normal.

Over 20 years later I’m still not used to it. There are times I encounter new challenges, but despite what life throws at me, I understand each challenge has its reward.

  • Processes to help me learn patience and how to listen.
  • Setbacks to make me stronger.
  • Rejections to grow my desire for my goal.

As I look back from this side of my recovery, the process changed me just as much as my disability has.

Regardless of how and why, here I am over two decades later walking when I’m not supposed to, eating on my own, and taking care of myself, despite what I was told by my doctors.

Actually, physically I’m in better health than a lot of people half my age. The struggles and long recovery have made me a better person. Now I get to reap the rewards of nearly a year of hard work. But, the cliché holds true, it wasn’t about the destination, but the journey to reaping the rewards.

Rewards?

The dictionary defines a reward as, “A thing given in recognition of one’s service, effort, or achievement.” Rewards are a result of hard work and take time to receive. There were times during my recovery I thought I would never get to where I wanted to be physically. Each negative result only made me want to succeed more. Failure was not an option.

Writing is a business and it works like any other business. Contracts aren’t given to just anyone with a good idea. Successful writers do the prep work and put in the time to get where they want to be. As I learned during my rehabilitation, anything worth achieving is worth fighting for, even when the struggle is unbearable.

This is especially true if we plan to reap the rewards of a long-term writing career. One of my life hacks is to mimic people who are where I want to be. This is why so many artistic fields now offer “masterclasses” to help others achieve success. Below are a few tips from successful writers.

1. Develop good habits – Most beginning writers will have to balance their writing with other responsibilities.

2. Use your limited time wisely – Before you sit down to write, think of ideas, remind yourself of where you left off in the story, or make a mental plan for what you want to accomplish during that session. Some writers strive for 2,000 words per day.

3. Network with other writers at conferences – Conferences are an invaluable help if you’re looking to network with other writers, publishers, and agents.

4. Find an agent – publishing via a traditional publishing house means you need to find a literary agent. These professionals are the gatekeepers of the publishing world.

5. Build a relationship with an editor – Editors are a hugely important part of your publishing process.1

My recovery wouldn’t have been a success if I’d done it my way. The rewards I gained came from working together with countless therapists, nurses, and doctors. As I look back now on who I used to be and what I could do pre-accident, I am amazed at how much I learned and what more I can do now than before. Recovery, like writing, is a process—and that process changes our perspective on what matters.

Perspective?

When I was younger I thought I was indestructible and life was at my fingertips. This thinking caused me to take everything for granted. My disability humbles me and keeps me on my toes.

I can vividly remember in college wanting to be a writer, but having nothing unique to write about. I can even remember praying for inspiration to write a screenplay that would touch the world.

Since my accident, I have worked with other disabled persons and shared my story. I am also inspired to write encouraging movies about people with disabilities. My accident changed my perspective on writing and life alike.

Too many people, especially writers look at success as the goal and miss the journey. Success may never be riches and fame for most writers. Success looks different to each of us.

  • Writing full-time.
  • Traveling the world.
  • Huge book sales.
  • Or a simple byline.

In one of my favorite books on writing Jerry B. Jenkins concludes with this, “I’m living my dream as a full-time freelance novelist, writing about things I believe in and care about. And you can too. The path is crowded and the passage long, but the reward is worth it. You can write for the benefit of your soul. And you can write to reach the soul of another. Welcome to the journey.”2

For some, the journey may be the only reward they receive from a writing career, for others it may be a New York Times best-selling book. Personally, each baby step I take both in writing and in my physical recovery, I know I am reaping the rewards.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-become-a-published-author

2  Jenkins, J, B 2006 (Writing For the Soul) Writers Digest Books, Page 214.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Setbacks

As I write this month’s post from my home office, the world around me is shut down as caution to the coronavirus. The writing conference season has come to a screeching halt before it ever got started. Because most conferences have either been postponed or canceled.

As social-distancing has become the norm, I have had more time to think about a lot of things. I know a lot of writers, both established and aspiring are disappointed by lost opportunities to pursue their passions or missed chances to reunite with other writing friends.

But, I can’t help but shake the memories and feelings I had over two decades ago when my life literally came to a screeching halt. It seemed like everything had been taken away from me: dreams, finances, relationships and even some physical abilities.

You could say, my life was over with as I knew it. But, it wasn’t over—it was just a turning point in my life that would put me on a new course. I’ve shared how difficult it can be to live with a brain injury.

But since, this month is brain injury awareness month I want to share with you some insights I have learned from navigating the hurdles life has thrown at me. Because as the world is learning now, you don’t have to have a disability to experience the trials in life.

Below are a few truths about life we can bet on.

  • Everyone struggles at times in life.
  • Just because you get knocked down in life, doesn’t mean it’s over with.
  • Slow down and learn to listen when life pauses.

Setbacks in life prepare us for what may lie ahead on our journey. By now we all know that writing isn’t an easy career. There are hurdles to jump. How we handle the setbacks will determine how our careers go.

Setbacks?

I googled the definition for setback and found a couple of interesting definitions: “1) A checking of progress 2) A space between buildings. 3) Automatic scheduled adjustment to a lower temperature setting of a thermostat.”

It’s interesting because these characteristics of setbacks apply to all facets of life, especially the writing life. Setbacks help us gauge the progress of our writing, they give us space and time to think, and they help us make adjustments to our writing.

Setbacks should help us focus, not make us fearful. I think our country and world have been humbled by the coronavirus. Hopefully we can learn from this setback.

About eight months after I had my accident, I suffered my first seizure and was scared to death. It took me two days after going to the emergency room to regain the movement in my left arm. For two days I cried because I thought all the progress I’d made over the previous eight months was lost. I was sure I would never walk again or be able to use my left arm. It wasn’t until eight years later when I had my second seizure that I began to connect the dots.

My seizures were triggered by becoming dehydrated. Once I made the correct adjustments to my life to avoid those situations, I have become seizure-free for over a decade, without any medication or doctor visits. Setbacks can teach us something if we pay attention.

I recently reached out to one of my writing mentors for some advice about navigating the hurdles of a writing career. She agreed that there are many. She was the one who first who noticed and helped me hone my writing voice. The following list is a compilation of hurdles that I have experienced along with some from my closest writing friends.

  1. Finding your “writing” voice.
  2. Finding your target market.
  3. Building your platform.
  4. Finding an editor that fits.
  5. Landing representation for your writing projects.
  6. Securing a publishing contract.
  7. Book marketing.

These are only a few hurdles I’ve heard about within the writing community. There will always be unplanned hiccups in the writing life, in life and definitely living with a disability.

These are times when patience and persistence are vital to a writer. After I had that first seizure I wanted to just give up completely, but then I learned to use it as a tool on my road to recovery. Write on!

Hang On?

Whether I’m at a writer’s conference or listening to online teleseminar, I always hear the same thing.

  • Don’t give up.
  • Keep learning.
  • Listen.
  • It’s okay to ask for help/advice.

Although I had therapists twenty years ago, there was no one I could turn to who could explain to me what my life would be like after losing 30% of my brain.

Now I have the opportunity to encourage other brain injury/stroke survivors about what to expect. I am also fortunate enough to have established writers in my life to help me navigate the writing hurdles.

As the world pauses to deal with the coronavirus, it is a great time to ask for help, listen and continue to learn our craft. That is the best way to make the most out of this setback.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.