Ever had a story that started out with a great idea, and then… died?

Like the first chapter is amazing. The second is OK. The third is so boring you want to rip it all out.

What you’re describing is the moment where the brilliance of the idea fades. (more…)

Starting is the toughest part of it. Inertia is a very real condition, and getting started when you would rather be in bed or at the beach or anywhere except there at your desk takes guts. I am going to let you in on a secret: Only the writers with guts succeed. Have you ever wondered why writers of mediocre talent get published while greater talents do not? The answer is guts. Drive.

Perseverance. Talent is not enough. You must have the drive to overcome all obstacles, including your own inertia.

Judith Krantz put it this way: “To be successful you must have talent joined with the willingness, the eagerness, to work like a dog. I write seven days a week from ten until four, and I begrudge every minute I have to spend on the phone or away from my typewriter.”

– Ben Bova

I admire people with persistence. Mostly this is because I haven’t got much of it myself. I tend to dither around, collect belly button lint and dream about how great things will be when I’ve managed to do whatever it is that I’m procrastinating about.

So I decided to train myself to be more of a doer. And while I haven’t managed to go all the way yet I do crank out a lot more work than I used to. How? Simple. (more…)