A Writer’s Journal, Day #1061

Day Six: this will be a very short post. I’m giving myself the next two days off—and giving you, dear friends, the same. Yesterday I got through the final sticking point in the draft, and now all is right with the world.

I’ll wrap with this one thought:

From age twenty-two till almost thirty, Resistance had me utterly defeated. The form my malady took was that I couldn’t finish anything. I’d get 99% of the way through and then I’d act out, freak out, bail out. I was powerless. Resistance had me absolutely in its grip. Now, three decades later, I am a thoroughgoing pro who can handle crunch time, if not with total aplomb, then at least by muddling through (or as Albert Finney as Winston Churchill in The Gathering Storm used to say, “Remember our motto: KBO, Keep Buggering On.”)

In other words, if you’re reading this and you’re struggling with a similar Resistance-derived monster, don’t lose heart. Keep slugging. Dragons can be slain. “KBO!”

Thanks for your patience with this week’s unorthodox posts. Two days off for me, then on to the next draft.

DO THE WORK

Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.

do the work book banner 1

THE AUTHENTIC SWING

A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.

The-Authentic-Swing

NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T

Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.

noboybookcover

TURNING PRO

Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"

Turning-Pro

6 Comments

  1. Maureen on August 23, 2010 at 8:59 am

    Good for you!

  2. Andrew Lubin on August 23, 2010 at 11:44 am

    In other words “Keep attacking!’ as Gen Salter might say //

  3. Guy on August 23, 2010 at 6:18 pm

    You’ve earned them…refresh, renew, and refuel, sir!

  4. Jon on August 24, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    Way to take the hill. Enjoy your rest, then enjoy showing the next hill who’s boss.

  5. jh on September 30, 2020 at 5:30 am

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  6. Johanna Fry on April 29, 2022 at 1:22 am

    Presently, after thirty years, I am a thoroughgoing expert who can deal with time to get down to business, in the event that not with all out assurance, to some degree by wading through seedsymposium.com furthermore, you’re battling with a comparable Resistance-determined beast, don’t lose heart. Continue to slug. Mythical beasts can be killed.

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