My father was of the philosophy that if you are going into the water, you might as well dive in. There’s no more torturous approach than the self-applied ritual of dipping the toes to test the temperature. Chances are the water will be colder than we expect and will shock us.
Thus we approach the water, ever tentative, feeling its tumescent shroud in our toes. But the water looks inviting. There are others having fun and we want to join them, but the cold wrapping our feet makes us hesitate. Our minds begin to create alarming scenarios. We image the discomfort and live the apprehension without so much as to setting but a portion of our body in the redeeming water.
But we know one thing.
We know that as soon as we dip our bodies fully, the sensation will go away. And the faster, the better. And so we run, screaming our courage in, jumping in with all our might and amid laughter we realize it wasn’t so bad, that all we needed was to overcome the fear.
So is the world of novel creation. Many approach it with the fear of facing the maws of a relentless monster, one that is merciless and relishes in delivering pain to those daring to cross its path. Yet once you immerse fully, you realize it’s but a capricious kitten.
Don’t get me wrong. I never said it was easy. It’s laborious. It demands a tremendous investment of time and capital, but the steps are not difficult. You just have to be willing to dive in fully and start swimming. We live in such a wonderful era and getting advice on how to do it properly is abundant and infallible. Yet many of the great works yet to be written remain as a coy sketch because the writer keeps looking for the shortcut that’s not there.
There are no shortcuts to writing a story but distractions are abundant. I urge you that if you want to write, to please do so without hesitation, and seek the abundant wisdom that can make your journey more bearable.
If you are one of my readers, I’m sure you understand how much work goes into putting good works together. Haste does not create masterpieces, it destroys them. Please be patient as I devote my time and my respect to ensure that you get high quality work.
I thank you for your support and to keeping in touch.
Peace and Happiness,
H.G.
