The Writing Life

The prospective writer is never told how painful it is to revise one's story. The questions are seemingly endless: is this the right adjective? Is there a better one? Would this character actually say this? Would she say it in a different way? This paragraph is really slow and boring. do i need it? How is this or that moving the plot along? How is this or that revealing more of the characters?

But, no one ever mentions how absolutely wonderful it is either. How after an endless day of running around like a headless chicken, trying to meet every petty demand of one's customers, it is the most amazing feeling to walk three blocks over, order a cup of pomegranite green tea, and start writing. The tension is leaving the tight shoulders. David Gray croons from the CD player behind the coffee counter. An hour flies by. And before you know it, it's time to go home and heat up some leftovers for dinner.

Ah, the writing life.