"Finish. The difference between being a writer and being a person of talent is the discipline it takes to apply the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair and finish. Don't talk about doing it. Do it. Finish."
-- E.L. Konigsburg, as quoted on the Critique Circle main page.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I want to finish things. That's part of the reason I've been hesitant to start anything new lately... well, that and a general sense of "not knowing what I want to write." I'm starting into a period of uncertainty. I get these from time to time - I start questioning my skills, reprimanding myself for not reading enough or researching markets enough.
I'm torn between wanting to pick a specific market or direction or even a single magazine, do some research and WRITE for it... or just casting all thoughts of publication to the wind and focusing on reading and writing without worrying about saleability. Both are appealing. (Hmm. Maybe I should go Route 2 and use the ensuing rejection letters to propel me into "write for my own sake" mode. ;-)
Something I'm proud of is that I have written absolutely EVERY DAY since mid-December. Sometimes it was no more than a sentence... sometimes it was an entire essay or letter. But words, prose, has come out of me in one form or another every single day.
-- E.L. Konigsburg, as quoted on the Critique Circle main page.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I want to finish things. That's part of the reason I've been hesitant to start anything new lately... well, that and a general sense of "not knowing what I want to write." I'm starting into a period of uncertainty. I get these from time to time - I start questioning my skills, reprimanding myself for not reading enough or researching markets enough.
I'm torn between wanting to pick a specific market or direction or even a single magazine, do some research and WRITE for it... or just casting all thoughts of publication to the wind and focusing on reading and writing without worrying about saleability. Both are appealing. (Hmm. Maybe I should go Route 2 and use the ensuing rejection letters to propel me into "write for my own sake" mode. ;-)
Something I'm proud of is that I have written absolutely EVERY DAY since mid-December. Sometimes it was no more than a sentence... sometimes it was an entire essay or letter. But words, prose, has come out of me in one form or another every single day.