“Write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along.”

-Neil Gaiman

I’m at the point in drafting my next novel (Spoken Books #6) where I’m convinced I have no idea what I’m doing and my writing’s little better than the nutrition facts on my morning cereal box. At times like these, I look for inspiration wherever I can find it. Generally, hearing that others share my misery provides some level of comfort.

        For those of you who aren’t writers, I still think you can glean some value from Mr. Gaiman’s words. Often, we never start a thing for fear of failure. That’s a shame. Just about anything worth doing has some risk built in. If you never hazard coming up short, you won’t achieve even a fraction of your potential. If I had never started typing words on a blank page for fear I could never write a novel, I wouldn’t be sitting here now with six books published and a seventh on the way. 

        What’s a project you’ve been neglecting because you’re afraid to start? Give it a go! You’ll probably do great, and even if you don’t, you’ll learn something, grow, and have more courage to face the next big task.

Note to readers: Each week (or, most weeks, anyway), I share an inspiring quote from a fantasy book or author and wax poetic about it, indulging my inner philosopher. If you have a favorite fantasy quote, email it to me and I may share it in a future newsletter: dtkane@dtkane.com.