I was under a lot of pressure this week. I'd set a deadline for finishing You Are Forgiven by the 4th, and I did. We're in a slow season at work because they federal government's budget is locked up so all my projects are on hold. For the last three weeks there's been very little to do. So I focused every moment of unclaimed time into finishing, and I made the deadline. I'd finished the first draft about two or three months ago, and wanted to give it plenty of time to rest. When I went back, the thing that always happens happened. I found that some of the chapters were out of oder, one chapter was totally unnecessary, another chapter was missing entirely, and two chapters needed to be completely rewritten. I've had to do worse - one of my books went through three 100% rewrites before I figured out what it was trying to say. The thing that felt different this time is that this book didn't feel as precious to me. It felt more like a book I needed to finish so I could complete those thoughts and keep digging deeper. It's hard to explain. The thing I'm facing now is the question of what to do next. I promised myself I'd take a break from non-fiction and start on a novel. But as soon as I finished YAF, a ton of different books started clamoring for my attention. Two of them are right at the front, demanding my attention, but I don't feel like I've matured enough as a writer and thinker yet. I need to get further along in my craft. It's like this: I do woodworking as a hobby, and I'm not very good at it. I like to tinker and learn and experiment, and I keep getting better. But there are some things I know I can't quite build yet - I don't have the tools or the talent yet. And there are certain species of wood I wouldn't dare touch because I don't have the skills to do them justice. The next book ideas are kind of like that. I have the vision of them, but I need to grow and improve before I can do them justice.

I need to borrow a page from the book of Dani and start making posts like this in TWG. You couldn't be more right with this post. There's a cost to waiting. I remember the first time I had a conversation with the version of me on his deathbed, hopefully still decades in my future. I asked him what he'd like me to be doing right now. The first thing he said was, "Write as many books as you can." A day is coming for all of us when it will be too late. There won't be time to write anymore - or start a business, or learn a craft, or go on that date, or visit that town. I couldn't handle the idea of telling that elderly version of myself, "Sorry...I'm too nervous. I know you had hopes and dreams, and it's too late for you, but I have self-doubt, so I'm not going to do it." How badly would that break that poor, old man's heart?

Critique partners, critique partners, critique partners. Rely on them. The most frustrating thing I come across with writers and writers' groups is the lack of honest, punch-you-in-the-gut feedback. I can't even tell you how many otherwise excellent authors gave up because they had so many query rejections because their writing was terrible, because the either didn't listen to their critique partners, or their critique partners weren't honest. Think about it this way: if your friend is going to a job interview and her shirt is wrinkled or he has a zit on his nose, and you don't say anything...are you being a good friend? And, if you do say something but your friend doesn't iron her shirt of address the zit, what impression will they make? It's the same with critique partners. It has to be an open and honest relationship. For me, I don't consider someone a friend or partner unless they've told me a hard truth at least once.

@Dani Rosenblad James indeed. The ball is in their court.

Thank you for creating and hosting this platform! It's a great place to connect. I'm looking for a way to break out of my shell. In the Air Force, I spoke to groups all the time - taught classes, gave briefings. I even started doing standup comedy for a while as a way to get past my fear of public speaking. Since I retired, I haven't had a chance really. I took one course a few years ago where I got to write and deliver a speech, but that's it. I'm seriously thinking about getting back into the stand-up comedy scene. There are some smaller open-mic nights around Philadelphia - it just makes for a late night. And I'm thinking about starting a seminar for my book, The Abundance Experiment, but it always comes down to time, money, and location. This is, again, why I would LOVE to have an assistant.

@Dani Rosenblad James I have to constantly remind myself not to use that as an excuse to NOT pursue my dreams and keep making headway. When the time is right, the right person will appear. I'm trusting divine intelligence to direct my path.

(Cracks knuckles)...Send it. I got you. I'll give you the full Master Sergeant Reverend E.B. White treatment. Tell me...what's your goal with this? Are you looking at traditional publishing? Self-publishing? Are you looking to make a little money, write a best seller, or have the personal satisfaction of having written a novel? It makes a difference.