When a golfer scores a birdie, it's a celebration, regardless of their level of skill. If you are a golfer, you know that getting a birdie can really get you pumped up and lead to greater things on the remaining holes. It can also lead to a loss of focus, and a horrible shot that is the antithesis of what you just accomplished. There is an expression for this: No birdie ever goes unpunished!
While this may sound like negative thinking, the truth of the matter is excellent performance at the game of golf is difficult to sustain, unless of course you are a professional golfer. Most of us aren't. Yesterday I scored a birdie with my writing project. I had purpose, clarity of thought, and as a result, I accomplished my goals with very little effort. It was a great day.
Today was the punishment of that birdie. Was I foolish to believe that I could just write with abandon like Stephen King? All I know is I'm committed to this project, and I will persevere, despite the fact that everything I wrote today took 2 – 3 times as long, and the quality is suspect. I guess that is where editing comes in. You don't get a chance to repeat a bad hole in a round of golf; you have to let it go. What's nice about writing a book is you have the opportunity to circle back and clean things up.
Thus far I have completed my introduction, chapter summaries, and the first chapter. Tomorrow is another day. Unlike Mick Jagger and the Stones, time is not on my side. If I continue at my expected pace, I believe I can finish the first draft within 10 – 22 days. My goal was to accomplish this within two weeks, but I blew through the first week playing around with the organization. Now I have ten days to go until I have to be out of town. Lets hope for a few birdies.
It is very common to score well in a round of golf despite not playing your best. What do you do, you take that gift and run with it? This feat is usually accomplished by gutting it out despite the obstacles. I can do that. Is it possible for me to write two chapters in a day? Absolutely! I can do that too. I could have written three chapters yesterday if I did not have other responsibilities.
So, in the quest for whatever lies ahead, I'm committing myself to making this happen. See my earlier post on intention. My theory is the process should get easier. Hey, it seems to be working for Stephen King. His soon to be released novel, Under the Dome, is 1088 pages. The shipping weight alone is 3.7 pounds. That's not a book, that's FIVE books!
If you are interested in how Mr. King pulls this off, check out his memoir On Writing. This is a true account of how Stephen King's career as a mega-author developed, and full of his unusual wit. I first read this book on a flight to India in 2000. I finished the entire book on that flight,with tears of laughter rolling down my face. BTW, he changed the cover from the original edition,which I prefer and is pictured here.
I'm not much of a reader of novels, but I have developed great respect for how this novelist tackles his craft. He shares great pearls of wisdom in his memoir that are guiding me through this process, namely: "Write with the door closed. And edit with the door open."
When you write with the door closed you are more likely to snag a few birdies, because you can get and stay in the zone without any conflicting input. When that door is open, you will realize you are not as good as you thought you were, despite those birdies. You are human, and that is exactly why you will learn what is necessary to make your work better for your readers when you eventually open that door.
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