Tuesday's Inspiration - On a quote from John Gardner #MFRWauthor

When I read this bit in On Becoming A Novelist by John Gardner, I thought about those struggling from Writer's Block. "Fiction does not spring into the world full grown, like Athena." Sometimes wishing or believing one can sit down and in the first run everything in the story is perfect and there's no need for re-writing sections or going through and making sure all the pieces are in place. Would be wonderful if that happened. I'm not sure that ever happened.

I've read many books where everything is seamless. A bit of envy enters my thoughts. Then I have to pull myself back and think. I'm sure there are writers who have been writing for a long time who have little problem with creating their stories but I doubt any of them have just started writing and come to the end and cried "It's a wrap." If you could ask them I'm sure they'd tell you it didn't happen that way. Wishing or believing this was true starts to make the writer feel they'll never get it right the way their hero or heroine author put everything right on the first draft.

Revision and re-writing are one of the joys and curses of writing but if they're not done the piece will fall flat. So don't let the myth get to you. There are people who sell the first book they've ever written. I did. But it took several years to make the story fit to publish. Learning the craft is what happened. Learning to fulfill every element of what makes a story a story is where it is. Writing is easier and yet harder and there are times when I don't quite make the story completely shine. Happens to everyone. So remember the quote. "Fiction does not spring into the world full grown, like Athena."