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"Writing isn’t hard — no harder than ditch digging." — Patrick Dennis
My new public vow: “No more public vows.” No, I didn’t start my new book on Monday; instead, I edited the one that will be published. Apparently public accountability does not work with me. Good thing I didn’t say I was going on a diet, or I’d be 5 lbs. heavier now.
Today I heard an interview with Richard Leakey (while not working on my book). The interviewer asked Leakey to describe what it is like to work on an archeological dig. Leakey says it is mostly pure drudgery, but it doesn’t feel like drudgery because you believe that you will find something; otherwise you would not do it. And when you do find something, it feels great, and worth the drudgery.
This describes writing. The task itself isn’t much fun, but the occasional discovery or coming together of words is worth every moment. From where I sit, the major difference between writing and paleontology is that writing doesn’t require sun block or a hat.
My new public vow: “No more public vows.” No, I didn’t start my new book on Monday; instead, I edited the one that will be published. Apparently public accountability does not work with me. Good thing I didn’t say I was going on a diet, or I’d be 5 lbs. heavier now.
Today I heard an interview with Richard Leakey (while not working on my book). The interviewer asked Leakey to describe what it is like to work on an archeological dig. Leakey says it is mostly pure drudgery, but it doesn’t feel like drudgery because you believe that you will find something; otherwise you would not do it. And when you do find something, it feels great, and worth the drudgery.
This describes writing. The task itself isn’t much fun, but the occasional discovery or coming together of words is worth every moment. From where I sit, the major difference between writing and paleontology is that writing doesn’t require sun block or a hat.
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