In the middle of my little village on the Oregon coast, a park perches on the headland jutting into the ocean along the edge of the bay.  Three white lines stand out on the concrete sidewalk.

The sun setting into the Pacific

These lines have significance on only four days of the year.

They mark the position of the sun as it sets into the Pacific as the seasons change. No one pays much attention to them except on the summer and winter solstice and the spring and fall equinox.

On those special days people journey to the park to see if the sun is in the proper position. This summer solstice, as is often the case, a cloud bank hovers on the horizon. Most likely, the clouds will blocked the view of the sun as it drops from the sky. We have to have faith that the path of the sun is on track and exactly where it should be.

When you are writing a novel, you also lack confirmation of your path. As you write in solitude, no one can tell you if you are still on track. You have to maintain faith in your story and in yourself as the storyteller as you keep writing to the end.

There are a few things you can do to to check your bearings along the way.

• Share your work with a critique partner
• Enter contests to get feedback
• Share your work with a “first” reader
• Take a break and write and submit a short work

If you are looking for contests to help you keep writing to the end, check out the Golden Rose contest held by the Rose City Romance Writers. You can submit up to 55 pages including a synopsis. When you enter this much of your story, the three judges can tell you if your story is on track.

What do you do to keep your confidence and momentum going while writing a novel? Leave a comment and share.

Write on,

Lynn