| 1. |
The concept of a good rejection letter. |
| 2. |
The contradictory emotions of envy and elation
experienced when a friend gets "the call"
from a publisher. |
| 3. |
How you can still believe a piece of writing
is good, even after it's been rejected 46
times. |
| 4. |
The truth of the following equation: butt
+ chair + time = writing. |
| 5. |
How much a form rejection letter hurts. |
| 6. |
Wanting honest feedback of your writing,
but wanting that honest feedback to be, "It's
perfect! Don't change a word." |
| 7. |
Ideas are everywhere. |
| 8. |
Ideas are the easy part—it's what
you do with all those ideas that's bloody
difficult. |
| 9. |
Writing is really, really, really hard work—even
when it looks like you're just goofing off. |
| 10. |
Staring out the window for an hour is part
of the writing process. |
| 11. |
Sometimes characters refuse
to behave and insist on telling a story their
way. |
| 12. |
Everything is fodder for writing—even
the juicy secret you're sworn to secrecy about. |
| 13. |
The inner critic is harsher
than any outer critic could ever be. |
| 14. |
Sometimes scrubbing the toilet
or cleaning the garage is more appealing that
writing. |
| 15. |
Sometimes writing is more appealing
than getting enough sleep or going out on
the town. |
| 16. |
A first novel shooting straight
to the top of the New York Times
bestseller list is just an urban myth. (It
has to be, it just has to be, doesn't it?) |
| 17. |
Procrastination is a crucial
component of the writing process. |
| 18. |
Sometimes bookshelves need to
be rearranged, right now. |
| 19. |
Having written is far more fun
than writing. |
| 20. |
There's always more rewriting
to be done. |
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