the writing life: secret no. 7

9:11 AM

Hold on loosely.  WRITE EVERYDAY WHETHER YOU'RE INSPIRED OR NOT

 It is tempting to rush the words when inspiration comes - to grab immediately and squeeze thoughts aggressively from consciousness in order to own them.

 But handling them gently for a little while is often preferable. Time allows ideas to deepen. Of course, this is never good advice to follow when you have a deadline.

 This tendency to rush in grows in strength as I gain more writing experience. It is a response pattern consistently reinforced by the online revolution, Carpe Diem messages everywhere, and self-imposed pressure to produce. It's easy to get entangled. So I have to be intentional as I wait on synthesis and magic to happen on their own time. And I have to trust they WILL happen.

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