Standing outside the fire is one of my favorite songs from Garth Brooks. After I heard the lyrics for the first time, they spoke to me. But then I had a different take on it.

Do we stand outside the fire when it comes to our writing? Do we only peak now and then when we have a free moment or when the mood hits us? Do you let it sit in front of you? Can it churn itself alone while you stand outside waiting for the next step to appear? If we fail to make an effort, will the fire grow or burn to ashes?

Sitting outside is safe, and if that is all you want from your book, awesome. But if you want more, you have to tend to it repeatedly, letting it grow in its flame growing and growing until it has a life of its own.

It is hard to write a book. Many parts will include dialogue, plotting, character development, research, and more. These are all things I was naive about before writing. Those who don’t write can be clueless like I was. Perhaps more so.

Many steps can make you slow down or quit. Standing outside the fire of your writing, wanting to continue but letting things stop you. I get that life, health issues, and family issues in some ways. But do you let it get in your head, and you are putting yourself outside the circle?

And even if you finish and get it published, however, the route you go, you have to promote and market.

While I have a publisher that markets my work, I still need to do my part.

Promotion is not easy or very fun, and it takes a lot of time and effort from each of us. And any little thing can derail us from doing it while we logic it away. But where we end up with our book depends on where we are on this journey.

We can get railed in so many ways, some of them produced by us. After writing this post, I can see why some of us stand outside the fire.