Friday, March 3, 2017

A new draft begins



 






With CHASING AUGUSTUS set for publication in September, I have begun writing the first draft of a new novel.  Each time I begin again I have to remind myself how difficult it is to create something out of nothing.
 
I love these wise words by the novelist Octavia Butler:
 
"First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice."
 
I agree.  An amazing amount of work can get done, one day at a time.

I tell students in the classes I visit that if you write a page a day, you can write an entire novel in a year.

Now, back to work!