Jonathan Carroll, one of my all-time favorite authors, doesn’t blog a ton about writing process, but when he calls something out it’s always worth reading.
His recent post was exactly what I needed to hear:
If you believe you have it in you, write whatever it is you want and stop thinking about approaches or limitations or or or… Just *write* it. Clear your mind of hesitation and everything other than the sentence you are trying to write and do it. Then write the next one. The more you think about it, the less well you do it.
Writing the new novel, I’ve been noting an internal paranoia growing. I’m spending more and more time wondering whether it’s “working”, whether the pacing’s right, whether I’m falling into old habits. It’s distracting, but now I’m reminded of what I need to do.
Just *write* it.