The Secret of Nature... Patience

“A leaf that is destined to grow large is full of grooves and wrinkles at the start. Now if one has no patience and wants it smooth offhand like a willow leaf, there is trouble ahead.” --Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Ah, those pesky first drafts, and the ensuing edits. That first glimpse of a lovely idea, plots branching out all over, leaf-pages that are smooth as lovely and completely wrinkle-free.

And here I am with a couple of acorns and a muddy plot.

So what's the key? Persistence, Patience, Faith.

Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. ~Josh Billings (pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw)

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale

Persistence—It's not enough to wish or want, one must DO. Just as we urge our characters to take action to resolve the many dilemmas we put them in, we also must take action and push ourselves to Keep On Writing.

Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience. ~George-Louis de Buffon

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Patience—Rome wasn't built in a day. Nor was it made out of paper. Yet here we are with the power of Olympian Goddesses, able to construct vast worlds, birth amazing heroines and heroes, and pick those (sometimes) hapless heroes and heroines up tod toss them in the most delightful muck we can conjure up. However, no matter whether the mind can race faster than a speeding chariot, the fingers can only do so much. We may envision the whole book in one day but barely work through a scene within those precious moments of writing time. So… patience. One 'word-brick' at a time. Build the foundation. Add some walls. Throw in some roads. The city will be built.

Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. ~Kahlil Gibran

I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn't fall down. ~Allen H. Neuharth

Faith—We must believe. There's no getting around it. The Wright brothers didn't say, "Oh, well, if it doesn’t work the first time we can always just go back to repairing bicycles." No way! They believed Man was Meant to Fly. Just as your book is meant to be written. Believe. Look in the mirror as you brush your teeth. As soon as you've spit out the toothpaste and rinsed your mouth, remind yourself, "I am a writer." Feel it and encourage your soul to burn with enthusiasm.

I AM A WRITER!!

And away we go!

Another new week. Another seven days filled with opportunity, inspiration, and endless possibilities. Let's make each hour count!

--Chiron O'Keefe

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