Comments on Life on the High Wire: What It Takes To (Fill in the Blank) – And I’d Ten...

Margosita - I hear you on the trusting yourself pa...

2009-07-01T17:04:25.250-04:00

Margosita - I hear you on the trusting yourself part. I've got a couple good book ideas (i.e. books I'm capable of writing that might actually have a market), yet I find myself losing steam because I think - really? Someone is really going to want to read this? Doubt out of no where. But the truth is, I won't know the answer until the damn thing is written. It seems to be about picking the project I have the most juice for, getting started, then sticking with it.

Again, you've given me more ideas for blog posts, so thank you!

I'm trying to read a variety of debut novels t...

2009-06-30T17:56:12.545-04:00

I'm trying to read a variety of debut novels this summer, from a range of different writers. I don't even know if I have a novel of my own to write, but I like the idea of reading a lot of "beginnings" when I'm still at the start line. (Or actually, I'm probably still dragging my feet up to the starting line, but you get the idea!)

I think what I'm struggling with most at the moment is just trusting myself. I had hoped a year into the MFA this would be easier, but silencing that inner critic and not letting those mistakes on the page consume me is... god, impossible sometimes.

Yes, yes, yes, yes! I was doing well with getting ...

2009-06-30T08:56:51.181-04:00

Yes, yes, yes, yes! I was doing well with getting up and writing five days a week... and then "life" took over and I haven't been able to get back into it. Structure and persistence are key. The 30-day trial worked to kick start it last time, so maybe I need to do that again.

The Stephen King comment above totally resonates w...

2009-06-29T23:55:42.660-04:00

The Stephen King comment above totally resonates with me. The best poetry I ever wrote on a consistent basis was when I was forced to for class! I cursed every minute of the drudgery, complaining about the creative flow being stymied, but it WORKED!

not listening to your inner critic as well as non ...

2009-06-29T11:02:35.103-04:00

not listening to your inner critic as well as non believers outside of yourself. NEVER GIVE UP!
-kath

I really like what Joanna Smith Rakoff says. You h...

2009-06-29T10:53:19.095-04:00

I really like what Joanna Smith Rakoff says. You have to prioritize. No excuses.

This comes to mind: In Stephen King's semi-aut...

2009-06-29T10:41:50.165-04:00

This comes to mind: In Stephen King's semi-autobiography, On Writing, he stresses that actually writing regularly is the key for him. In other words, get up every morning at the same time and force yourself to sit down and write from 8am to noon or whatever. Every single day. Get into the routine and form the habit. Sometimes you'll be motivated, sometimes not - but if you do it consistently, eventually you'll come up with *something*.

- Deb