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1. We are hooked up to the Internet. (Did you know they have porn and wrestling kittens–or both!) on the web? Why would you make your dreams come true when there are distractions like that?
2. We don’t outline and we got fifty pages in before we hit a dead-end. Now what? Back up and go again? What if I hit another roadblock?
3. Coffeemaker broke and can’t afford Starbucks. We could afford one Starbucks flavored coffee…if we get that barista job.
4. We chose the wrong point of view from the start. We did not realize this until we hit the climax on page 326.
5. Kids, job, sleep…minor, dispensable obstacles en route to glory.
6. Best friend got published. Instead of writing, it is necessary to run in circles around the house cursing god, fate, Random House…not necessarily in that order.
7. Writer’s Block. Urk! It is now necessary for us to attempt a bank robbery for new content. Could also solve #3 if our getaway works out.
8. Depression. Cold, paralyzing depression. “Why haven’t I won a Giller by now? Or at least published?”
9. False starts. Your agent tried a few publishers and dumped you. The acquiring editor took you on with glee (and then immediately switched over to educational publishing.) The journal that was going to feature you went under. Close calls are part of the writing deal.
10. Laziness. Yeah, I said it. Laziness.
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Filed under: getting it done, publishing, Rant, Rejection, publishing, Writers Resources, writing
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Good point! It certainly could be if we’re not careful. I take one afternoon a week plus maybe an hour or three through the week so I think I’m pretty good at defending writing time. I thought of another one, too. I’m a lousy typist, but I am working on it. (somehow got through Journalism school without learning proper technique. My self-taught spidery approach never caught on since I couldn’t get past 40 wpm.)