Looking For The Forest and The Trees

A walk through a trail made me reflect on the saying: “can’t see the forest for the trees.” In the literal sense this refers to the tendency to focus so much on individual trees that we can’t see the forest as a whole. The larger reference is that we can become so preoccupied with the specific details of a particular issue or object that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The key is to find a happy balance.

I have been trying to strike that balance as I go through the editing process with my manuscript, The Killer Trail. I am fortunate to have an incredible editor who is providing invaluable feedback and food for thought. The editing process can at times be painstaking but it is necessary. After spending several hours chained to my laptop yesterday, fine tuning minute details, I realized that I needed to take a break and a local trail offered the perfect escape. The setting was serene, the sky was clear and I had few distractions. The nature hike helped me regain perspective with my manuscript. I literally and figuratively began to see the forest for the trees.

I also gained a new appreciation for the parallels between writing and running. In writing a thriller novel my goal is to create a fast paced ‘edge of your seat’ experience for the reader, which can be compared to a running sprint. On the other hand, the process of having that manuscript edited, published, and ultimately made accessible to a reading public can be likened to running a marathon. It involves keeping one’s endurance and remaining focussed and determined for the long haul because it is a lengthy, time consuming course.

I guess I am fortunate that I like running, whether it be sprints or long distance marathons. And I particularly enjoy trail running, looking for the forest and the trees!