Yeah, I Can Fly

My quote would more accurately be, “Yeah, I can write.”

I missed a deadline. I didn’t mean to miss it. But an anthology I’m planning to submit a story for had a deadline of March 1st.

Oops.

I quick call to my editor and I got a (slight) reprieve, “Sure, Rodney, if you have something I’ll add it to the stack.”

Did I have something?

Of course!

Absolutely not.

I had an idea. I’ve been planning to write for this anthology for months. I had the story, the characters, the conflict, the resolution. I had it all. . .in my head. I needed it on paper.

I found out this morning that I’d missed the deadline. Unfortunately I couldn’t skip work. Or therapy. But, the rest of the time, I could write.

Writers write. It’s what we do. But, writers have been known to develop excellent distraction skills. Show me a writer with a deadline and I’ll show you a writer with a VERY clean house.

But, what about when it really counts? Can you write? (Can I?) My two favorite quotes on writing.

I could write with my typewriter propped up on my knees in the middle of Santa Monica Blvd.

– Louis L’Amore

I never had writers block. . .I couldn’t afford it.

– Ben Bova

Every year the NaMoWriMo organization encourages people to write a 50,000 word book in the month of November. You have 30 days.

Well, today I had to write. It was time to put up or shut up. Fish or cut bait. Pick your favorite metaphor. And I curried out 6,000 words this evening.

They are really rough. Halfway through the story I changed the scene from summer to winter. My main character has an arc that I’ve stretched so far it nearly breaks. But, the story? Yeah, the story is done. The rest is just polish.

I’ve never written 6,000 words in a day. And if I could do that daily, I could write three or four books a year. I’m not to the point that I can do that.

But, remember Iron Man? The quote that I started with “Yeah, I can fly.” He said that when he had proved that he’d done the engineering good enough to fly a little. Days like today convince me that yeah, I can write.

Stay safe

Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren. Order Miscellany II, an anthology including his latest short story, “The Mercy System” here

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