Unattainable Perfection

I was going to title this "In the Home Stretch," but then I realized I have used that title. I seem to be in the home stretch frequently. That may be because the finish line keeps receding. I'm sure I've left out at least a dozen steps as I try to record what I'm doing to write, publish, and promote Words To Live By.

It's painful to admit publicly, but I never realized just how many steps it takes to produce a little book (and it IS little). Every proof I receive has mistakes. What is so frustrating is that these are not new mistakes; they are mistakes we (the copy editor and I) didn't catch. The last proof, which was the third, required ten tiny corrections, which meant a new high-resolution PDF to be uploaded to CreateSpace, all of CreateSpace's rules to follow again, and another proof to be mailed back to me. I guess it will never be perfect no matter how many times I read it, and frankly, I am not eager to read it again.

What complicates this process is that I have two book in progress, both at exactly the same stage of publication. The other one is the sixth edition of How to Write a Nonfiction Book. That means I am reading two proofs, making or overseeing two sets of corrections, and sending and receiving two sets of files. When I said I was "updating" my existing book, I didn't realize how much I would be adding or that a poltergeist would get involved. Short of throwing things around, this one has done almost as much damage. All I can say is save your files with draft numbers and dates, and back up, back up, back up.

Last week, I attended a presentation by Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: the Contracts & Services of 45 Self-Publishing Companies—Analyzed, Ranked & Exposed. Mark and I had a nice chat while I was buying his book. He asked me who was printing mine. I told him. He said, "Well, don't read that part."

Words fail me.

Hitting the Wall: Remedies for Writers Block

To tell the truth, this hasn’t happened to me in so long I’ve forgotten that I’m just as susceptible to writer’s block as anyone else. In fact, I didn’t even notice that I had come to a complete standstill — writing-wise — until someone asked me if I had “retired.” Well, in truth, writer’s block is like retirement, only with guilt. Lots of guilt, especially when this is how you earn your living. What to do? Here are some things I have tried and will now pass along to you, just in case you ever need them.

1. Clean up your office, top to bottom. File or pitch every piece of paper. Use Windex or Mr. Clean or Pledge on all surfaces. Vacuum or sweep or wash and wax the floor. Wash your keyboard. OK. Your universe is clean. Now, you can get to work.

2. No, not yet? The next trick is to remove distractions, which include all the things you have to do that are keeping you from doing what your really have to do, which is write. If it’s paying bills, pay them. If it’s laundry, do it all. If it’s calling your mother or designing a flyer or checking every piece of e-mail, get it all out of the way. After all, who can work with a mind that looks like a messy to-do list?

3. Still not ready? Acknowledge it, accept it, forget it. Unplug the computer. Take at least 24 hours off. Go for a walk or a bike ride. Take a nap. Take a bath. Meditate. Go to a movie. Read a trashy novel. Call your best friend. Work out. Go dancing. Eat ice cream or whatever you consider really sinful. But do not think about work.

4. Refreshed and ready to go yet? No? Enough of this nonsense. It’s time to get tough with yourself. This isn't a game, my friend; this is what you do. You’re a pro. You don’t wait for inspiration; you do what has to be done, when it has to be done. So, as the saying goes, just do it. Put on your most comfortable writing clothes; fix yourself a cup of coffee; turn off the phone; flex your fingers; and put them on the keys.

5. Now, write.

A Message to "Anonymous"

I received a comment on my blog post, "Questions Writers Ask,"and feel that it deserves a considered reply. I know I've published this somewhere in the past, but it's worth repeating. Its original title was WRITE!

Everyone is a writer. That includes you, whether you know it or not. If you’ve never pulled out a piece of paper or pulled up a blank screen on your computer and just rambled, you may not know it. If you do write, but your audience is limited to your hard drive or desk drawer, it’s time to reach out and touch a real reader. And, if you know you’re a writer but you feel stuck, this is the time to move to the next level.

W: Wake up! Most of us sleepwalk through life and miss out on what’s happening all around us, on ideas and inspiration, on challenges and opportunities, even on our own experiences. Write! Writers write. If you’re not writing, you’ll never know if you can. You’ll never share your words with others. You’ll never know what you’re capable of achieving.

R: Reach for the next level, whatever it is. If you’ve never tried it, do it now. If you haven’t tested your talent, take your work out of the desk drawer and find an audience. If you’ve never pushed yourself or gone out on a limb, this is the time to take that chance. Risk writing, risk feeling inadequate, risk rejection, risk success.

I: Ignite your passion for something, anything, as long as it moves you. Then involve yourself completely in whatever it is: subject, style, story, or specific area. Identify your niche. Do you want to be a poet, a novelist, a commentator, or a journalist? Are you wild about sports, science, or spirituality? That’s the seed of a career. Plant it, and watch it grow.

T: Try everything — every kind of writing, every possible subject and field,every genre. Take a course, join a writers’ group, go to lectures, read the best writers, keep a journal, enter a contest, write a query letter, submit a short story, a poem, or an article. Test your talent, test your limits, test your courage. Being a writer is all about tests, but then so is being a human being.

E: Explore life, explore your own feelings and thoughts, other people’s feelings and thoughts, things you’ve never done before, things you do without even noticing. Start noticing. Experience life. Get excited. Get involved. Immerse yourself in every activity. Writers feel. Allow yourself to feel; then put your feelings on paper.

Dear Anonymous, Go for it!