 |
| New Mentor |
Flaubert wrote steadily, with only the usual, appalling, strains. For twenty-five years he finished a big book every five to seven years. If a full-time writer averages a book every five years, that makes seventy-three usable pages a year, or a usable fifth of a page a day.
- Annie Dillard, "The Writer's Life" -
And there you have it. I'm not a lazy, low-talent hack. If 1/5 of a page per day is good enough for Flaubert, it's good enough for me.
Huzzah!
On the downside, it means I'm behind about eight months on my current project. So there's that. Gotta really get after it. Tomorrow, maybe.
Flaubert undoubtedly wrote perfectly -- look at that face -- but for the rest of us the fact remains approximately 100% of the first draft gets shitcanned and maybe 50% of the second.
ReplyDelete