Sunday Smatterings
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Hello, lovelies. Happy Sunday to you!
Last week we talked about a topic near and dear to my heart, productivity. Today I want to talk about how you make productivity happen. You can organize and plan and dream, but at some point, you’re going to have to execute those plans. And that’s where things often get a little tricky.
Fear of success can get in your way. Fear of failure, too. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of the unknown. Fear, fear, fear.
How you overcome it is personal. Nothing I say or do will help you outside of reassuring you that all artists have the sword of Damocles swinging above their heads that screams you’re not good enough, the work isn’t good enough, you’re never going to amount to anything. Successful artists tell Damocles to fuck off and get on with it, because they are compelled to. There is nothing--nothing--that will keep them from their art.
But if you want to succeed at anything in this life, art or otherwise, you have to put in the work. That means sitting down every day with it, whether you’re jotting ideas in a notebook or laying down 1000 words. Whether you’re editing what you wrote to outlining where you plan to go. The objective is to touch your work every day, and keep on touching it. Manipulating and massaging, caressing and cavorting. Yes, you must be in a committed relationship with your work. You don’t have to be monogamous, but you do need to be committed.
And if you want to succeed, you have to be just as committed to getting your work done as you are to feeding your kids, or washing your face. Friend and author Wendy Heard gave the smartest writing advice I’ve ever heard a few weeks ago: Write so much it becomes less precious.
When you’re starting, every word is sacred. Awe-inspiring. Every concept explored, every page written, all glorious. Eventually, if you do this enough, they’re words. Some will stay. Some will go. Some tell the story well; some obfuscate and must be cut.
Write. Just sit down and write. That’s how you execute your plans.
On to the links!
Here's what happened on the Internets this week:
35 New Books Out In September 2019 For The Cozy Days Of Fall Ahead. So many good books coming out!
How To Simplify Your Life. PLEASE take 6 minutes and watch this. It just might save/change/improve your life.
The Voice Behind Many Bestselling Books On Tape Is Actually That of An Infamous Serial Killer. This is wild.
A Plagiarism Scandal Shakes Up the True-Crime Podcast World. “One possible outcome could be a bump in scrutiny of the true-crime podcast community, which has largely thrived off to the side as an internet subculture. This subculture, whose largely DIY ethos tends to be somewhat fluid when it comes to ethical considerations, has long seen accusations of plagiarism pop up from time to time throughout its ranks. It has also seen worse scandals.”
50+ Must-Read Gothic Novels and Stories. Great list!
The DIY Furniture Project That Led To A National Book Award. Wonderful story.
In Praise of the High School English Teacher. "In popular culture, teachers are so often presented in an almost mythic way. We are martyrs; perfect people who would teach for free."
Preparing For Price Increases On Books and Print Goods. We’ll see how this plays out.
What If Social Media Platforms Were More Like Libraries? An interesting question to explore.
The Wine of the Week at The Wine Vixen!
What I’m Reading:
THE NEW GIRL by Daniel Silva
Silva never disappoints. After last year's outstanding THE OTHER WOMAN, I was worried about how he would top it. This follow-up is classic Silva, with a topical storyline and twists galore. Many outstanding questions are answered. Highly recommended.
What are you reading?
That’s all for now. I’ll see you next week!
peace and hugs,
J.T.
