90% Perspiration
By Anna Elliott | April 15, 2011 |
This past month I read a blog post full of writing advice from another author who said, “When you feel like writing, write. If there’s something else you’d rather be doing, do that instead.” Now, writing is such an individual process that I would never, ever criticize anyone else’s. I don’t even really think there’s such a thing as bad advice on writing–just tips that work for some people and not others. But I confess that when I read that, my immediate mental response was, Oh my gracious Lord, really? Because if I followed that advice, I would never write another line.
Now, don’t get me wrong. For me, writing is my dream job, my calling, my vocation, my passion, wrapped up so deeply with who I am that it’s part of my soul. There’s nothing I would rather do. Except that when I sit down at the computer, there’s always something I would rather do. I want to read blogs and look at the news and take my children to the park and even do the laundry. It’s not that I don’t love my story, it’s not that once I’m in the writing zone I’m not exactly where I want to be. It’s just that for me, that moment when I open the file and start writing is hard hurdle to leap over, every day.
Now, maybe you never feel that way, maybe every time you sit down at the keyboard you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to have flights of creative inspiration land on your page with the clockwork regularity of jet liners at JFK. If so, that’s awesome. And I kind of hate you. Just a little. But this post is for anyone out there who, like me, feels like the moment when you open your WIP file is sort of like having a giant syringe inject you with a concentrated dose of writerly-fear serum: what if the magic doesn’t happen today? What if I hit a wall? What if I don’t hear my characters’ voices today?
Obviously I don’t have a total cure, since I still have those fearful moments on a regular basis. But here are some of the tricks I’ve worked out for jumping over that hurdle and getting the story told:
1. Recognize that it’s normal. I once watched a documentary about Ann Lamott, who said what for me was one of the most liberating things I’ve ever heard: As a writer, you are not even supposed to sit down to work every day feeling like a million bucks. It feels like hard work because it is hard work. Amazing, wonderful, absolutely worth doing–but nonetheless, there are always going to be days when it feels hard.
2. Set a timer. This really works well for me if I’m really having a hard time digging in and concentrating on the writing at hand: I set a timer, usually for 20 minutes or so, and for those 20 minutes I am not allowed to get up from my chair/straighten my desk/check e-mail/any of the other myriad little tasks that call, tempting me to procrastinate. I just write. And the thing is, once the 20 minutes are up, I’m so deeply into the story that I don’t need to set a timer to make myself concentrate anymore.
3. Silence the voices. Like I say, for me, that difficulty in opening my WIP and starting to write is really all about the fear: fear that what I write isn’t going to be any good, that today the words just aren’t going to flow. There’s an element of magic to writing, after all, a part of it that always feels just a little bit beyond my ability to control. And the hard thing that whatever I write really isn’t any good, or not at first, anyway. Writing is rewriting, and I always, always have to go over each scene and sentence time and again before I get them into a shape where I’m happy with them. So it’s a tricky balance, but I try to keep that in front of me: that first drafts are always crummy, that I can revise and revise as many times as I like, that no one else is going to look at it until I decide it’s ready for other eyes than mine.
4. Reward yourself. I set myself strict writing goals every day, but I also have a system of rewards. Not that my rewards are especially exciting–usually along the lines of, If I write another 500 words, I can check e-mail/look at that web page/get up and get a cup of tea. But still, it helps just to have even that small incentive for staying focused and on track.
Thomas Edison is often quoted as saying, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” For me, that’s absolutely true of writing, as well: ninety-nine percent is all about the perspiration. But even still, there’s truly nothing else I’d rather do.
So what about you? What are your strategies for buckling down and getting the words onto the page?
Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan and Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles, chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. Anna lives in the Washington DC area with her husband and three children.
Lately, my strategies have fallen miserably short of the mark. Your post reminds me that I’m not alone with that problem. I’ve scheduled a quiet time before I start and make sure I do some WIP work before I check email and blogs. It works–most days that is. ; )
I’ve got to say that it doesn’t turn out well for me to sit down and work on my WIP no matter what. I write historical fiction and I have a very specific process.
Three to six months of research and time-lining.
One week of plotting, planning, writing character bios.
First Draft (usually five to six months)
Revisions (about a year)
During the research and time-lining phase I usually don’t write a word of my WIP. I need to know absolutely everything about my historical period and characters before I put words on the page. Occasionally, I’ll write a scene here or there when inspiration hits, but not often.
While I’m not working on my WIP I do try to write short stories, blog, and write articles. I’m also always editing work from my critique partner and critique group to keep myself sharp.
I agree with you, though, that writing is a highly individual process, and showing up is half the battle. Thanks for this thought-provoking post!
Thanks for the tips, Anna! After a week-long vacation from my day job and my writing, I needed a good reminder about how to focus myself. It’s way too easy to become distracted by blog posts, tweets and emails. Like Lisa Ahn, I’m definitely going to have to try the timer idea.
Also, in response to Erika Robuck – Thank YOU for posting about your process of writing historical fiction. I’m working on my first novel (a historical fiction) and have been beating myself up about not actually writing anything yet; I’m still in the research/outlining phase but have been trying to force myself to write scenes because I feel like I’m making slow progress. Thanks for letting me know that taking time just for research is totally normal!
Hemingway said he always looked for one true sentence. Whenever I feel frozen or doubtful of my ability to write on, I apply the Hemingway guide to writing. Instead of saying, “I need to finish this chapter, page or paragragh,” I shift to “Today I’m going to hunt for that one true sentence.” Giving myself freedom to explore works every time.
I’m a big believer in the timer. I make a deal with myself. If I’m not into the work by fifteen minutes, I can walk away and do some other task related to writing. Most times I don’t even notice it go off.
(I use the timer technique for housework, too. Oddly enough, I always hear it ring when I’m scrubbing the tub.)
I’ve come to a place in my writing life where I just choose to have faith I will write something usable if I just sit and write. It may be rough and partly incoherent, and that’s okay, since it’s a first draft. As Anne Lamott says, a shitty first draft is just fine.
Occasionally I will write something that comes out almost perfect the first time, but more often that not, it needs another day or more of tweaking and rewriting. But if I just get the ideas down, the rest is easy and fun.
Good post, Anne.
This was a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing your struggles. I am right there with you. Sitting down to write is one of the hardest steps in the day. It’s not a lack of love for the art or even writer’s block. It’s the fear of facing my MS and worrying that today it’s going to suck. Today I might see the crap instead of the genius. But once I’m in, I’m committed. It’s like going to the gym. No one is excited about getting their butt out of bed to go sweat and grunt and flush, but man does it feel good when you’re actually in the midsts of it. And when it’s over, you’re happy you went.
99 percent perspiration is so true. I could have the most genius idea in the world, but no one is going to see it if I don’t write it.
Great post!
“Fear serum” LOL! That’s a perfect description, though sometimes I feel I have it in an IV running wide open. 8-)
I’ve had huge highs and lows on this in 2011. In January, I wrote the most words I’ve ever written because I forced myself to ignore my fears and write every day. Ditto for February–set a lower word count goal, but accomplished a lot.
March and April? Went right back to my nonproductive ways. Sure my life is in the midst of upheaval with work changes and preparing to move, but that’s no excuse. Even with that kind of chaos in my life I could write a paragraph or two a day. But it’s a convenient excuse. And a chance not to give fear the credit it’s due. “Not fear!” I say. “I’m just busy!” HOGWASH!
It has never hit home to me more strongly than 2011 how crucial daily writing is to overcoming fear for me, yet March and April have been testament to what power the fear serum can hold over you. But I’m not poisoned beyond help yet. I’ve still got 8.5 months. 8-)
People write LOL so much it’s lost meaning, so I’ll tell you, Anna, that I laughed out loud when I read “If so, good for you. And I kind of hate you.”
I should try the timer. Like you, it’s all about making myself start each day. Getting my mind into my wip’s world is sometimes difficult, so I have to shut down everything but appropriate music to get there. I like Jocosa’s idea about finding Hemmingway’s perfect sentence. I often can build a whole writing day around that sentence. Often it’s scene opener, or a snippet of dialog that starts a conversation.
Great post Anna! I’m with you, kind of hating those it comes easily to, just a little. ;-)
Such great reminders in this article!
If I want to get some serious writing done, I have to leave the house. I usually end up at a coffee shop. My belongings aren’t everywhere distracting me, and I feel like “Well I came all the way here so I HAVE to write now”.
The times when I write a lot at home are those “must write now!” moments where it just comes pouring out. But the rest is perspiration… :)
Great blog. Great discussion. Now I’m going to upset some of you, so sorry in advance. There is no such thing as Writers’ Block. It’s a myth. I have no problem writing, for two reasons; my writing philosophy and the time I write.
My writing philosophy is; ‘there is no such thing as good writing only good editing’ and ‘you can’t edit a blank page. How does this help me? First I recognise that whatever I write will need editing so I don’t mind what I write. And realising I can’t edit a blank page, means I know I must get something down. I have heard people say ‘but I can’t…’ Yes you can. Just press buttons on your keyboard and you are writing; easy.
If someone offered you $1 million if you could write 1,000 words in one hour you would do it no matter how much writers’ block you think you had. If someone held a gun to your loved one’s head and said write 1,000 words in an hour you could do it. So the only thing stopping you from writing is you are not motivated enough. You don’t want it enough. Fine, but you will never be a writer. The 1,000 words will need editing anyway so just go through the motions and get something down. A great antidote to Writer’s Block is nanowrimo. Try it one year (I do it every year now because it gives me 50,000 editable words).
The time I write is important too. I found it harder to write in the evenings because my mind was always full of the day. So I go to bed an hour early and get up an hour earlier – I know this is not easy for some but how much do you want to be a writer? In the morning I get no disturbances and my mind is fresh from a night’s sleep and dreaming.
I also find I am more creative in the morning so I can solve problems easier. I’ve experimented with writing a problem on a card and reading it just before I go to sleep. I find often I can solve it easy in the morning as if my mind has been working on it at night.
Perhaps I’m being too hard on some of you but it’s like a lot of things in life; boot camp discipline works. So stop finding excuses to not write and press those keys. :)
Great advice. I’ve started using a program called Focus Booster when I write. It’s just a timer, but it has helped me become more productive. I have to turn the internet off when I write. Otherwise I just end up searching for things online and reading blogs and before I know it my day is gone.
Great blog Anna! I have found that for me it’s not a magical spell, it’s simply — the work needs to be done–so do it! It’s not always easy but it’s uncomplicated. Fear of not getting the work done is a great motivating factor too. LOL. I do the reward system as well, Anna. My breaks might be like yours-going to the mailbox, checking email. Or like yesterday, it was mowing the yard and fixing food! Not always glamorous but hey…whatever it takes. Thanks for sharing!
“There’s nothing I would rather do. Except that when I sit down at the computer, there’s always something I would rather do”
Yes, lol, yes this exactly!
And to “cure” it, I do #1-3. #4 doesn’t work for me though, b/c if I really want something (chocolate, a walk, reading) I just do it. Self-withholding is like being told by my mother that I CANNOT do something: then I MUST do it. :P
Great post, and thanks for reminding us that it’s okay if what we love is also hard work!
I love this post because I can relate. I used to think that writing was easy, but now that it has become harder, my writing is better. Does that make sense? I also love the timer. This week I’ve moved from my office to the kitchen table and have been setting the timer on the microwave. It works great for me.
I resisted setting a word count goal for the longest time, because that number seemed to freeze me any more. (I embody that paradox of wanting to write more than anything, yet fearing it more than anything.) Yet that seems to be the key to me moving forward. I’ve had to set the number very low, so that it’s achievable. Then, like your timer trick, I’ll often write past it.
The consistency keeps the story alive better, so that even if the prose is lifeless, my subconscious works to plug plot holes. In other words, by aiming for quantitative progress, I often miss the mark even as I advance qualitatively.
Also, I use WriteWay Pro and my evolutionary antecedents are now clear. I push aside the voices, sit butt in chair, and press the letters just to make a red circle become yellow. :)
I have two things that I do. No matter where I am or what time it is: I have playlists set up for different characters. Depending on who I am writing about, I listen to different music. It allows me to get into their head and helps me focus.
If I have the freedom to go somewhere else I generally take my laptop and go to a coffee shop/tea house and put on headphones. I find that sometimes being in a different environment and taking breaks to listen to the ways different people speak gives me inspiration.
Both of those really help me.
Great post. I will try the timer, because I spend way too much time sucked into blogs and emails and facebook.
One of the big things I face when trying to write is that other people don’t see it as work. Many view it as an indulgence, and an odd one for the mom of a toddler at that. I’ve tried writing in short, toddler nap length spurts and the result was a pile of disjointed dribble. I’m in awe of writers who can switch their writing on and off in twenty minute segments day after day, because I find I need chunks of time (90 minutes plus).
Great post, Ann.
I have a routine that I (try to) keep to about 25 minutes:
I limit myself to reading two blogs (WU and one other), followed by a short visualization where I meet with my “muses,” followed by a writing exercise where I write opening lines (thank you, James Scott Bell!) off the top of my head. By then, I’ve got the creative flow going (not to mention, potential seeds for future stories).
Great post. I think that the “only write when you really want to” advice sounds like a great way to have a writing hobby, and yes some people are talented enough to make money with their hobbies. Anna, your advice on the other hand, is the kind of thing that I think helps people have a writing career.
Oh, it’s a concentrated dose of writerly-fear serum making me think those thoughts. I thought I was just going crazy. Good to know.
Good advice! I find that my hardest part is starting the writing process. But once I start, and can go pretty good. It helps if I give myself a deadline to finish a piece. This motivates me to get it done. Before I started doing that, my WIP would be in the writing process for a very long time.
OMG I love you hahaha
Instead of a timer I start off with a song that inspires me to focus. Always the same song, and a little bit far fetched, but it works for me. I get to sing that song once, then when it’s over start typing.
It’s really an odd way for me to start because the song is in absolutely no way meant to be inspiring LOL but it works. I just picked a song and made it my start up routine :)
I don’t believe writing is supposed to be easy or comfortable. If it is, then you probably aren’t pushing yourself hard enough to improve and create something truly worth writing…and reading.
Yes, this is tricky, writers do need to find their own process. Unfortunately if you want to be a published author you need to apply a more professional standard to your writing. That doesn’t just mean the quality of your writing. It means the process.
Yes, it’s hard to write when you aren’t inspired. But, better advice is when you don’t feel like writing, try something to make you feel like it.
Lot’s of comments above give ideas on that. I like the set a goal process. I set a timer and write for 15 – 30 minutes. Or I say I can break after writing a scene.
One way to develop your ‘write regardless of how you feel’ process is to take part in National Novel Writing Month. Having a 50,000 word goal for the month doesn’t give you the luxury of writing only when you are inspired.
Thanks
Reading all these great comments has been providing me with very seductive distractions from meeting my own writing goals today! ;-)
But my 1000 words are now finished, so I have a chance to respond:
Zan, you are definitely not alone!
Erica I (obviously) write historical fiction, too, and my process is similar, though now I combine the research/outlining/writing phases a bit more so that they mix together to a degree.
Jocasa, “One true sentence”–I LOVE that, I’d never heard it before.
Pamela, I should try the timer for housework, too! Though I’m sure I would drop the scrub brush the *instant* it went off. ;-)
Cynthia, that advice of Ann Lamott’s is some of my favorite, and I agree, once you have the first draft down, revisions are comparatively easy.
Sara, brilliantly put, that’s exactly how I feel, too: “It’s not a lack of love for the art or even writer’s block. It’s the fear of facing my MS and worrying that today it’s going to suck. ”
Brenda, we have ALL been there. But you can overcome that fear serum and start writing again, I know it! Good luck to you!
Vaughn, LOL ;-) Good to know it’s not just me. The timer really does work for me, and I know a lot of other authors who find it helpful, too.
Sara, that’s a really great idea to leave the house, and one I would have suggested except that I never get the chance to try it–someday when my writing time isn’t my kids’ nap time!
Christopher, I do agree with you, absolutely, there’s nothing more important than just sitting down, no excuses, and getting the words on the page. You can do it! Or if you REALLY can’t, maybe it’s not your motivation as a writer, maybe it’s that you’re not motivated enough about that particular story. So find a new story that you love enough to sit down and write it!
Lovelyn, Focus Booster–I’m going to have to look for that! I totally have to self-limit internet time, too, or use it as a reward, it’s too easy to get distracted otherwise.
Marian, exactly, it doesn’t have to be especially exciting or glamorous, just a little extra push to keep you on task.
Kristan, we probably all have that inner-teenager telling us we MUST do what our mothers tell us we can’t. If only our mothers would tell us we are strictly forbidden to write, right? ;-)
Tina, it absolutely does make sense that it gets harder as your writing gets better, I feel exactly the same! My early (never to see the light of day) books were very easy to write, but that was because I wasn’t digging deep enough.
Jan, WriteWay Pro? Do tell sometime, I’ve never heard of it!
Christina, music is such a great way of getting inside characters’ heads, I do exactly the same. Not every day, but for any book I’m working on I’ll have a couple of ‘theme songs’ that I’ll listen to until my heart starts tingling with the *feeling* I want to capture in the book.
Mari, I have 2 toddlers at home, and I SO so hear you about the lack of lengthy stretches of time, which I desperately need, as well. If I can get all preachy for a second here, though, don’t be afraid to tell yourself (and others around you) that at least an hour of writing time a day is a necessity, not an indulgence. Hard as it feels to remember it sometimes, mamas have needs and rights, too!
Cindy, what an amazing routine! I love the idea of writing opening lines, that’s brilliant.
Jenel, I think that’s my feeling, as well–if you only write when you feel like it, you may (not necessarily, but I can see it being a danger) really get into trouble when you come up against things like publishers’ deadlines, etc.
S.P. Yep, if only someone would come up with an antiserum! :)
BC, that’s exactly how I feel–starting is the hardest part.
Emma, now I’m DYING to know what song it is you use? What an awesome idea.
Ben, that’s my feeling, too: good writing doesn’t usually happen by staying inside your comfort zone.
Perry, I definitely like setting goals, too. And the thing is, often inspiration will strike when you least expect it, on a day when you’ve just sat down at the keyboard expressly to meet your goal, not because you were feeling especially inspired.
Anna, WriteWay Pro is a program for PCs. I’m told it’s akin to Scrivener. When you’ve set it up, it presents you a daily writing goal in pie chart form, and as you write words, the circle progressively turns from red to yellow. I live for the yellow. Yes, I am that shallow.
Jan, I actually use Scrivener! No pie chart, though. At least not that I know of. But I still LOVE the program, seriously it’s improved my writing process tenfold.
Thanks for being so candid about getting down to writing!
Sometimes, it helps to write out a list or mind map the weeks; then I know what I need to do.
On a daily basis, it helps to limit the catch-up time for blogs, comments, etc.
Bottom line, it is great to be writing!
Becoming a good writer–or really, nurturing any skill–means practicing even when you don’t want to. If we only write when we’re inspired to, it’s going to take most of us a looooong time to get anything done. Maybe the first novel or two will fly out if we’re quick writers, but when we get tired or life gets busy or the creativity starts to wane? Nothing will happen. I understand that everyone has individual techniques, but I can’t imagine writing only when you want to will be beneficial for anyone seeking a career out of writing.
I am, though, a big fan of taking breaks. We need time to recharge our energies. Setting a weekly quota has helped me a lot. I still try to meet a daily quota, but if I have an off day, I know I can make it up the next and still meet the quota for the week. It relieves a lot of the pressure and mental stress.
Kristin, that’s a brilliant idea to set a weekly goal! I have a daily goal, but I’m going to try a weekly one, too, like you say, I think it would relieve a lot of the pressure if one day I just can’t meet the 1000 word goal.
I really enjoyed this post. I can certainly relate to this issue, and I do think that those first 5 minutes of writing each day can be overwhelming. I loved the idea of setting a 20 minute timer, I’m going to give that a try tomorrow! Great post :)
I think that setting up a rewards system is so important. Right now, I’m taking part in the Script Frenzy challenge, and even when breaking down the challenge into a daily page count, I find that giving myself something to look forward to after the task makes it easier to motivate myself. I’m like you–I love writing, it’s definitely the path that I’ve always wanted to take, but you need to give yourself that extra kick in the pants to stay on track.
ah, this is so timely. Especially given that I just sat down to work on my WIP… ;-)
All your advice made a lot of sense to me – thank you!
Brittany, I hope the timer works for you, too! Good luck!
Krissy, I totally agree–kicks in the pants are sometimes necessary, no matter how much you love the work.
Anna, I’m so happy if the post was timely and helpful. Nice to meet another ‘Anna’, too–I hardly ever hear of anyone with my name! :)
Wonderful post, Anna, and fantastic comments here, wow!
Nothing works so well for me as immersion–working every single day on the wip. That’s when the excuses vanish and I literally start to dream the story.
I guess I join the rest of the planet when I say this post resonates with me as well! I’m a new blogger and I just posted about finding time to write. Like you, I want to write, I enjoy writing, but lately I just don’t do it. I’ve done the timer thing before and it works well (when I commit to it). My biggest problem is that while my internal moralist insists that I uphold commitments to others, she gives the commitments i make to myself zero respect. I can trick myself by taking a class or finding someone (or a group) whom I want to impress with my work ethic — but as soon as someone else slacks off, i feel like I have permission to as well. I have the same problem with diets and exercise programs! Now if only acknowledging the problem would make it go away! One thing that works for me is to try something new periodically. Lately I’ve been enjoying myself by going against the rules with my WIP (using a heavy-handed narrator, grotesquely high-fallutin’ vocabulary, adverbs…) – in other words, having fun. What a bummer that I forget to have fun with my writing, and then it’s no surprise I don’t much want to get back to it.
Great post and great comments! I really like Jocosa’s “one line” idea too. Yesterday I was having a hard time writing and noticed that if I just got up and did a small task, then my writing was better. Thanks for the motivation!
[…] a terrific post this week on Writer Unboxed, Anna Elliott writes about how to handle those times when writing feeling anything but magical: “[M]aybe […]
I especially agree with you, Anna, and Ann Lamott, and Christopher that you have to sit down and just WRITE and you can always revise “til the cows come home” – cliche’ alert. For me, after I’m finished writing a novel and all the edits are completed that fear starts encroaching ever so insidiously that I won’t be able to write another book because I have no IDEA what to write about. But I said I could never write a novel EVER and I just completed my third book. So, in a way, I have to not listen to myself and ignore the silly things that part of my brain keeps telling me – kind of like a little bad gnome sitting on m shoulder whispering negative things in my ear!
I completely agree that it’s a hurdle, and the fact that it’s difficult to start writing doesn’t make anyone any less of a writer–it just makes them honest.
My best shot at getting over that hurdle is waking up early in the morning to write–before my husband, my dogs, and my clients are awake–so I can devote myself 100% to the writing without feeling like there’s something else I should be doing.
I also have this big blue sweater that I have to wear as I write. I didn’t notice until recently that I’m always wearing it in those early morning hours; it was something I did subconsciously, so now I’ve embraced it. I like to think of it as my creativity cloak. ;)
I especially like your tips about setting the timer and using small rewards. I get distracted by twitter and blogland, in particular. It’s actually more difficult when I’m doing research. I usually give myself a timed goal or page count goal with the “reward” of five minutes on twitter or checking two blogs. That sounds silly when I write it, but it works! Like you, with writing, I find that if I cross the line into immersion, then I don’t have to worry about distractions anymore. Thanks for the ideas and insights.
I love the creativity cloak idea. I’m in a goal-setting group with a bunch of writer friends. At the start of the week, we email around our goals for that week and also account for how we went with last week’s goals. The knowledge that if I slack off, I’ll have to admit I didn’t meet my goals often pushes me to keep writing past when I would otherwise have stopped. Having to publicly account for the previous week is a huge motivation for me.
Very good advice in both the article and the comments. I’ve moved a long way from “just writing when I felt like it,” to applying B.I.C., and I’m getting more done now than ever, surprise, surprise.
But I still struggle with the “I don’t feel like it,” blues. And that’s where the commitment comes in, I think. Every day I have to choose to be a writer. Every day I choose to be published again. Every day I choose to make money doing this – even just a little. And the only way I can choose any of that is when I choose to sit down and start writing, no matter how I feel about it.
I only wish I had more time to do it, without all the distractions of work, family, church, and annoying telemarketers. Yeah, I know the first three really aren’t distractions – at least, if they are, they’re worth my time – but there are moments when I’m knee deep in the text and the door to the den bursts open, scattering my thoughts like dropping a bag of marbles on a floor.
But a 1,000 words a day is easy. Doing it every day, that’s hard.
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