Chicken by Chicken -- The Work

Hi folks: This week I continuing a series called Chicken by Chicken. This is take on Anne Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD, a helpful writing book. The idea is you take the writing journey one day at a time. You take it one word at time and that the important thing is always the writing and not the publishing. Writing for me is chicken by chicken.  That's how I roll.

Last week I wrote about the next big thing my book PROFIT.  That was a whole lot of chickens. This week, I'm going to muse about who writers are and what the do. I find that writers are generally dreamy folk, are often introverts, many have heard the news that their head is stuck in the clouds. All love to read and find it akin to breathing. Most have several outlets for all that creative energy, including music, art, landscaping, interior design, architecture, science, computers, dance, and more. I think writers face a little bit of disdain at times from folks who don't write because the work of collecting together a bunch of ideas that hopefully sets the imaginations of the world on fire is  a little outside the realm of general experience.

Many writers struggle with the inward doubt they are not trying hard enough to do the work.Writing is like this dragon dancing around inside of you and you are spending your time trying to tame it. You struggle because there are many chicken steps for writers that are frowned upon in the general population. They include staring out the window, not paying attention to current stuff, a predilection of being a little unaware of the time, need for quiet and breathing, talking to yourself in the car, walks to ponder the next step, naps to sleep on that idea, analyzing every story you come in contact with, oh, yeah, there is also so many hours in front of paper and screen, adding, taking away and shifting around words.

Don't be hard on yourself because you've chosen writing as a profession. It's a little different. Enjoy it. Chicken by chicken. I hope this wandering musing will help ground you, will help you create masterworks, will help you embrace who you are and what do.

I love to draw chickens, especially Halloween chickens. Here is this week's doodle: Wonder Woman Chicken.

And finally my quote for the week: Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning. Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity but with it you can accomplish miracles.- Og Mandino,