In my capacity as one of one of the world's greatest procastinators, I am always on the lookout for a way of forcing me to get something done. In the field of writing, Chandler devised a simple rule.
He knew that you should not force writing. If you are not in the mood, you don’t have to write. But you are not allowed to do any other activity either. So, he gave himself two options:
I may write, but it is not mandatory,
Not do anything else.
That's it, really, isn't?
If only I had followed this advice in my formative years, things might have turned out so right for strangers in the night.
He knew that you should not force writing. If you are not in the mood, you don’t have to write. But you are not allowed to do any other activity either. So, he gave himself two options:
I may write, but it is not mandatory,
Not do anything else.
That's it, really, isn't?
If only I had followed this advice in my formative years, things might have turned out so right for strangers in the night.
Somerset Maugham, on the other hand, was extremely strict with himself and HAD to produce 30 pages of manuscript before he could have a drink in the evening. Presumably not just "rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb" either.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, I vaguely recall those 30 pages of prose had to be produced before breakfast. Never having read any Maugham I could't vouch as to the quality.
ReplyDelete