Writing Coach Whispers: “Go Ahead Honey, Just Write An Itty Bit!”
Numbers lie.
I know, we’ve all heard the opposite, and there is something to be said for that view. Two plus two should always come out, four.
But numbers, by themselves, aren’t the entire story. The EMOTIONS we attach to numbers, our various interpretations of them; these judgments make numbers deceive.
Writers are especially susceptible to mixing a toxic brew of figures and fantasy.
For example, how much stuff have you written, lately?
Have you written reams of text, or have you been doing it in dribs and drabs?
Today, because I have a secret life as a consultant and entrepreneur, I’ll only craft a few pieces of work, this of course, being one of them.
Note that word, and I didn’t edit it out: “Only.”
I’ll ONLY do two pieces.
What a nasty diminutive. “Only” is a term of valuation, and I let it sneak into my discourse with you.
I guess that’s how I regard my output, as puny, insubstantial, and I can make a case for that.
Although this is my 572nd article in about six months, and I currently hold the rank of #8 out of nearly 25,000 writers at this Ezine site, there are still seven people who are ahead of me, in raw productivity terms.
The one immediately above (Is “above” an evaluation, as well?) that guy is banging out about seven a day, by my calculation. Comparatively, I must look like a slacker, if only to myself.
You see how this thinking goes, and how foolish and defeating it is.
Who cares how much you produce as long as you produce?
I read something about author Frank McCourt that said his best-selling novel, “Angela’s Ashes,” took more than 20 years to compose.
Can you imagine his detractors at the time, perhaps family, friends or his inner voice, saying:
“Frank, you’re not much of a writer. What did you do todayten words? At this rate, it’ll take you DECADES to finish that book of yours!”
We all need a different source, one who will whisper: “Go ahead honey, just write an itty bit.”
If it’s good enough for Frank, it’s just fine for the rest of us, don’t you agree?
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of http://www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations from Santa Monica to South Africa. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com
For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to http://www.customersatisfaction.com
