Self Denial

As I mentioned earlier, I've re-read the book Story by Robert McKee. It's packed with insightful information on storytelling, and I only absorbed part of it the first time I read it a few years ago. Reading it again, having pondered writing in the interim, I was pleased at how much more of it now made sense. I feel a new-found confidence that I can now fix the pacing in my book.

Yesterday I started working on the novel again. The last time I worked on it, according to the file date, was in June of 2005. A lot has happened since then. We fixed up the house, put it up for sale, sold it, searched for a new house, bought one, moved, fixed up the new house, explored the new area. Busy bees we've been.

Now it's time to hunker down and finish this puppy. The biggest obstacle, I think, is going to be avoiding distractions. I need to stop taking up new hobbies, stop reading books so much, stop spending so much time exploring. What would be ideal would be to cut down on distractions to the point that I got bored. One of my best motivators is boredom. I'll do anything, even write, to prevent boredom.

Self-discipline is hard, but I have to start denying myself many of the distractions I've been succumbing to. I wish I didn't suck at it.

Wish me luck.


Posted by Dave    Blog Tag: Chatter