Shut Up And Write Anyway.

First Thoughts Have Tremendous Energy. The Internal Censor Usually Squelches Them, So We Live In The Realm Of Second And Third Thoughts, Thoughts On Thought, Twice And Three Times Removed From The Direct Connection Of The First Fresh Flash.

Finally, One Just Has To Shut Up, Sit Down, And Write.

I Hear People Say They're Going To Write. I Ask, When? They Give Me Vague Statements. Indefinite Plans Get Dubious Results. When We're Concrete About Our Writing Time, It Alleviates That Thin Constant Feeling Of Anxiety That Writers Have - We're Barbecuing Hot Dogs, Riding A Bike, Sailing Out In The Bay, Shopping For Shoes, Even Helping A Sick Friend, But Somewhere Nervously At The Periphery Of Our Perception We Know We Belong Somewhere Else - At Our Desk!

Friends Open The Door For Me To Write. Then I Get Paid Attention To And It Allows Me To Write Other Books. The Great Spring And The Thirtieth Anniversary Of Bones Just Came Out And While I'm Happy And Excited About That, I've Already Finished A New Book. That's What Practice Does. You Don't Get Caught.

I Told All Kinds Of Stories About Going To Japan, About Playing Ball With My Father... I Wanted To Record My Life In Case It Was Going To End Soon. So, I Wrote That And It Was Very Comforting To Have That Practice In The Afternoons In My Living Room. I Just Wrote About My Life.