Time to Get Back to Writing

I’ve taken nearly a week off from doing anything productive unless you count reading and watching television and reading blogs and forums that I’m supposed to be avoiding as productive work. I don’t. :D Honestly, you probably shouldn’t either, if you do.

Since I published my last book, I’ve been spending a lot of time refreshing reports (AH!) and updating spreadsheets (AH!) and generally goofing off in a way I shouldn’t be doing. I’ve ended every day with guilt hanging over my head. If I’m going to wallow in guilt over my procrastination, shouldn’t I be at least have been doing something fun?! Yes, yes indeedy. :)

But now it’s really time I started getting back to work. I have some big goals for the rest of the year. It’s a bit of a personal challenge for myself, and I want to succeed!

Plus, if I don’t write a reasonable number of words today, my word count for the week is going to be 628 words. :o

Update #1: I read the rest of my novella in progress. Now I just need to get started on the writing.

Chuck Wendig’s “Garbage-Fire Shit-Show”

Lots of great thoughts fill Chuck Wendig’s post “TOUGH LOVE TALK FOR AUTHORS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WTF” (which I read even though I’m supposed to be avoiding blogs and forums!) but none I love more than the bit I quote below. :) Go read the full post. It’s good.

YOU’RE GOING TO FAIL

You’re going to write a shitty book. Maybe three of them. Or ten of them. And they won’t get published. Or they will (or you’ll self-publish) and they won’t sell. Writing is tough noogies, man. Everybody can’t do this thing well. Success isn’t a guarantee. The numbers are in, and most of you? Nearly all of you? You’re going to fail. And some of you will quit as a result.

BUT…

Failure is not a dirty word, not like ‘fucksmudge’ or ‘jizzdonkey’ or ‘trickle-down economics.’ Failure is great. I’ve failed before. I’ll fail again. Failure is a ladder made of bent metal. Failure is there to cut out the gutless and gormless, the lost and lazy, the easily dissuaded. Failure is a test — not a test of talent, no, but a test of determination. And failure is itself a learning opportunity. How did I misstep? Why? What can I do better next time? Should I include more instances of the word ‘fucksmudge,’ or fewer instances of the word? Failure is a crucial first step.