As writers we need to develop the objectivity required to be able to read even the books we don’t enjoy, and to seek what is within them that made that particular manuscript stand out above all the others (yours and mine included – ouch!) It could very well be that what niggles with you is what makes that book special and gives it its own voice.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined,” Henry David Thoreau said. I love this quote. I imagine he went on and said, “stop thinking about it and get on with it.”
The reality is much, much different. I'm a nine-to-six'er with half an hour of rush-hour traffic between my house and job. By my count, that's ten hours a day I'm not writing. And I'm not the only one. Most of the writers I know also work full-time. Ever wonder how they do it? I did, and so I asked.
See, when you set a goal, you have to define it, identify the obstacles, outline an action plan, track your progress and (my favorite part) celebrate your success. For me, time is always an obstacle. To overcome that obstacle, I have adopted the notebook as part of my action plan. It helps me break down the goal into manageable pieces and helps me track my progress. (So I can celebrate!)
Case in point: just recently there was an article in the NY Times titled, "Forget Ideas, Mr. Author. What kind of Pen Do You Use?" And the first sentence is "Here is a truth to which all writers can attest: Readers are more interested in process than in product."
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