We spoke in the previous post about mankind’s evolution over hundreds of thousands of years from savage to barbarian to slave and helot, serf and peasant to courtier, conscript, subject of a king or queen. In other words, some form of pawnship in which the capacity to think and act for ourselves was either limited or proscribed completely.
When did this change? What was the first glimmer? To me, it was with the ancient Greeks and it achieved its apotheosis in Athens during the Age of Pericles. Athens was the first great democracy.
Demos = people. Kratia = rule.
In Athens and the other democratic poleis (city-states) of ancient Greece, a type of human being appeared for the first time.
The citizen.
The free citizen of a free state.
Why am I talking about this? Because this totally new incarnation of homo sapiens is the precursor to the contemporary artist⎯to everything you and I aspire to be.
And because this new type of human began to understand, for the first time in history, the burden and responsibility of self-rule.
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.
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.
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.
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?"
Patronu aradığında sürekli hasta olduğunu söyleyerek iş yerine yalan söylüyor
porno hikaye Patronu artık bu kadarının gerçek olamayacağını ve rapor görmek istediğini dile getirip telefonu kapatıyor
türbanlı Olgun kadın hemen bilgisayarının başına geçip özel bir doktor buluyor ve onu arayarak evine davet ediyor
porno Muayene için eve gelen doktor olgun kadını muayene ediyor ve hiç bir sıkıntı olmadığını söylüyor
brazzers porno Sarışın ablamız ise iş yerine rapor götürmesi gerektiğini bu yüzden rapor yazmasını istiyor
brazzers porno fakat doktor bunun pek mümkün olmadığını dile getiriyor
sex hikayeleri Daha sonra evli olan bu kahpe doktora iş atarak ona yavşıyor ve istediğini alana kadar durmuyor
Porno İzle Karılarını takas etmek isteyen elemanlar hep birlikte evde buluşuyor
türkçe porno Güzel vakit geçirdikten sonra kızlara isteklerini iletiyorlar ve hatunlarda kocalarının bu isteklerini kabul ediyorlar
seks hikayeleri Hemen ellerine telefonları alan elemanlar karılarına video eşliğinde sakso çektiriyorlar
porno izle Hiç beklemeden sikişe geçen elemanlar hatunları değiştire değiştire sikmeye başlıyorlar.
Patronu aradığında sürekli hasta olduğunu söyleyerek iş yerine yalan söylüyor
porno hikaye Patronu artık bu kadarının gerçek olamayacağını ve rapor görmek istediğini dile getirip telefonu kapatıyor
türbanlı Olgun kadın hemen bilgisayarının başına geçip özel bir doktor buluyor ve onu arayarak evine davet ediyor
porno Muayene için eve gelen doktor olgun kadını muayene ediyor ve hiç bir sıkıntı olmadığını söylüyor
brazzers porno Sarışın ablamız ise iş yerine rapor götürmesi gerektiğini bu yüzden rapor yazmasını istiyor
brazzers porno fakat doktor bunun pek mümkün olmadığını dile getiriyor
sex hikayeleri Daha sonra evli olan bu kahpe doktora iş atarak ona yavşıyor ve istediğini alana kadar durmuyor
Porno İzle Karılarını takas etmek isteyen elemanlar hep birlikte evde buluşuyor
türkçe porno Güzel vakit geçirdikten sonra kızlara isteklerini iletiyorlar ve hatunlarda kocalarının bu isteklerini kabul ediyorlar
seks hikayeleri Hemen ellerine telefonları alan elemanlar karılarına video eşliğinde sakso çektiriyorlar
porno izle Hiç beklemeden sikişe geçen elemanlar hatunları değiştire değiştire sikmeye başlıyorlar.
I will take the burden and responsibility of self-rule over the comfort of the herd to be who I am. And oh, it’s not easy, but so worth the effort. Wish everyone an enlightened week.
This reads less like history and more like an inner threshold. The Greek citizen you describe is the first person who could no longer hide behind gods or rulers. That same moment arrives for anyone who commits to the work—when excuses end and self-rule begins.
Free citizen of a free state. Let’s ensure that remains true, and does not fade into distant history.
Ditto, Joe.
A “Free Citizen” A “Free State” Those are lofty romantic notions that can’t exist. As an individual, being free is to be a wild beast. The Free state is not possible without laws and obligations of the citizens to authority. One can master himself as a slave or as a citizen — that is in the mind. I image being a soldier Pericles’ army required self discipline (mastering one self) but the soldier wasn’t a Free man and the army wasn’t a Free state.
Forgive me if I’m not following the concept correctly. I wish to have an open mind. I do understand as citizens we have obligations and laws to authority, but what if the authority is wrong or perverse? What if authority itself changes the rules to benefit only a few? Then what is our obligation to ourselves and fellow citizens?
Under such circumstances, the obligation of the citizen(s) is to establish a new authority that is presumably deemed just and fair. At which point the structure Bettina described would resume. And if the citizen(s) felt a personal obligation to opt out, then they would become a wild beast, unbound by the blessings and burdens of citizenry.
Jackie… yes.
I’m partial to the quote by Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), I think from The Social Contract:
“There is no liberty, then, without laws, or where any man is above the laws…. A free people obeys, but it does not serve; it has magistrates, but not masters; it obeys nothing but the laws, and thanks to the force of the laws, it does not obey men.”
Thanks Joe. I love the quote. I will read further.
Jackie… came across this quote at an art installation at Holcomb Gardens at Butler University. Eight quotes on truth and justice, watched over by Socrates and his quote: “Until philosophers are kings or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, then only will this our state have a possibility of life and behold the light of day.”
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ACh5J5zA2/
Thanks, Joe – this is perfect.
Thank you. Please amplify far and wide.
Self rule #1 – True freedom comes from discipline and responsibility.
This. Always this.
John, I think you’re on to it…
But never forgetting that Athens too fell into despotism. It’s far far easier than being in a democracy where you actually are required to participate.
Keep going to your point!
So much here Steve…I love it when you reflect on Greek history…I certainly do not want the clowns who are running things in DC in charge…. I don’t want a dictator of their ilk and lack of any sense of history or morality, but I have grave concerns that the majority of our citizenry is not up to the task of. being responsible for themselves and their actions. So difficult but not impossible. Just requires a lot of very hard work and discipline.So easy to write…so difficult to do.Please keep up this theme of the basics of citizenship required in a democracy…LT
Thank you so much dear Steve. Im exhausted today so I won’t deploy many chains of thought, but I will just say that it makes great sense if a society or better yet the people achieve the self-rule dynamic, but in a manner of self not only as independent but also philosophical, or spiritual even -in scientific measure though.
Day 7 complete: Empathy’s so powerful I believe because it can dismantle arguments and restrictions between parties in any sort of transaction and may help to solve issues.
Thanks for this little history lesson, Steve, and reminder: Yeah, America, it’s time to wakeup, because we ain’t that. Have we ever really been? I’m based in DC – so we #freedc’ers are trying to be citizens – out in the streets screaming our heads off. As we all are. The taxation with out representation motto on our license plates is becoming the norm across the US of A. Something to write about – fight about – and then take breaks from so we can be contained in our musey worlds and DO OUR WORK.
Day 1 completed: January 8, 2026
My pre-work ritual: First thing early in the morning: 1. Sit for 5 minutes in front of my Vit. D sunlamp (greetings from winter in Wisconsin!); 2. While doing so, meditate on inviting in and thanking the Muse; 3. Light an incense offering to my ancestors, at their photos, and ask their help with my work.
Hey William – I love that, offering to ancestors – I’m in Two Rivers, where are you??
Above was Day 7, complete.
Today, Day 8, complete: I did my work before validation.
Day 07 complete: my ritual is: set the timer, one hour, get the phone on airplane mode, or brain on ignore everything else mode, and start music or silence if necessary to increase my focus. I am adding breathing exercises as well, if resistance is making me feel like I want to pull the ejection cord of my writing chair.
Day 08 complete: I did my work before validation.
I’m struggling to understand why the feature image is of the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, which I happen to love, but I don’t see the connection with the message about Greek society and democracy. Is it the statue of St. Paul that should be the focus? He advocated the freedom of the sons of God and freedom in Christ, but Steve’s message is not religious as such, unless I missed something. Help me out.
Because I got a late start on the 2026 Creative Reset Challenge, each day I will do report on two days until I am caught up.
Day 1, complete; My mind-shift is “I am a professional, I am a professional. I am a professional writer, and I act like one. ”
Day 9, complete: I wrote for 30 minutes listening only to my inner voice and/or the Muse, and not to outside critics.
Day 2, complete: My January win metric is 2 draft chapters completed.
Day 10, complete: My Resistance tactics are:
– “Not good enough”.
– PREPARING to write – more research, etc.
– YouTube surfing in the evening (instead of reading, or going to bed to prepare for the next day’s work).
I had to think of Wolfgang von Goethe: „In der Beschränkung zeigt sich erst der Meister,
und das Gesetz nur kann uns Freiheit geben.“
“In limitation the master is revealed,
and only law can give us freedom.”
Day 3, complete: My work window is early morning, 5-9 am.
Day 11, complete: My self-discipline rule is do not open my laptop after 9 pm.
– Day 9 — Hemingway’s Rule
Day 9 complete: I wrote without listening to critics.
– Day 10 — Resistance Roll Call (It’s all about Resistance)
Action: Name your top 3 Resistance tactics.
-Day 10 complete: My Resistance tactics are hamster wheeling in self-doubt, anxiety inducing scrolling, not sitting on the desk to write. (doing anything but..)
-Day 11 — Discipline vs Self-Discipline
Action: Choose 1 rule you impose on yourself this month (ex: “I start at 7:00am”).
Day 11 complete: My self-discipline rule is writing at least 1 hour a day.
(and resistance said, inside of me: Yeah sure, we will see…)
Day 4 complete: My unromantic tasks are:
1. Before bed, vision the morrow, starting with a disciplined morning.
2. Research how to attract readers and subscribers to Substack.
3. Get and read the book “The First Five Pages”.
Day 12 complete: I am committed to tomorrow morning getting up without thinking (too late today!) – and visioning that the night before.
I love to write, but will tell you that I’m immersed in the day’s tasks and chores w/o mercy. However, my biggest step toward freedom is when I started my own business 6 years ago. The ‘true’ self? Well, I jettisoned the corporate ‘Merika work thing and decided that I’m going to craft my bidness so that it works for me. I don’t care if it sounds selfish. Serving my customers a quality product requires that I ignore much of the “more and faster” mandates that drive this country’s productivity. Now when I write it’s similar to glancing behind me every so often as though I forgot something. Or, I’m hiking a ridge and suddenly the heavy pack falls off, tumbling down the cliff . . . . And I don’t care.
Yahoooo! Freee!!
BTW
The Good Lord is my ‘Muse’ and now I can hear Him a little better…
Day 5 complete: I create value by writing excellent sentences that people enjoy reading. And by showing them things they have never seen before.
Day 13 complete: I will never ask my art to support me. I will support my art by getting my butt in the chair, and making it a priority – as I would a lover. Love relationships only wark by making the other person a high priority, and I will love and treat my art the same way.