Had lunch yesterday with a very good friend who's also a columnist. Anyway, we got together to discuss an idea he has for a novel. It's a great idea, and he's just the guy to write this particular book. He was fretful, though--worrying about certain legal issues in connection with the story, as well as how it might be received. About midway through our meal (I had an excellent tuna and cheese panini btw) I said dude! Have you written the book yet? He said he hadn't. And I (because apparently I am a genius) said then write the book first and worry about all the other stuff later. Worrying about it now is a form of avoidance, a topic ON WHICH I AM AN EXPERT. I avoid avoid avoid like crazy.
So here's today's free advice to writers everywhere. Don't worry about agents. Don't worry about reviews. Don't worry about what you're going to wear at your first signing. Just. Write. The. Book.
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3 comments:
That's great advice for more than writing. It works for any venture into the unknown.
Of course you're right. But worrying about the writing sometimes feels as if it IS writing. It's easy to get snookered into substituting the one (worrying and fretting, or, really, almost anything!) for the other (writing).
Words to live by. Thanks Ann.
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