I got 'er done

It turned out I had even less time than I originally thought to do The Thing That Could Not Wait. But I got it done. It wasn't pleasant, but it's done and -- importantly -- to my satisfaction.

I think one reason I'm disciplined enough to be self-employed is because I spent time in the reserves. Being a reservist is not nearly as challenging as being a member the regular forces, but I still think that time taught me to, basically, stow the attitude and get the job done.

See, there's no negotiation in the military, no "I'll do it later." Or "Why do I have to do that?" Or "It's not in my job description." Well, you can try, I suppose, but that's how you wind up running around a parade square holding a rifle over your head.

So I was drawn to a book I saw in the bookstore the other day: NOVELIST'S BOOT CAMP by Todd Stone. I'll admit that I'm always skeptical when I see a how-to writing book by somebody I've never heard of, but I plunked down my plastic anyway.

For one thing, I often read a new how-to book when I'm starting another novel. You may think after forty-plus I just sit down and let 'er rip. Um, nope. Believe me, facing Page One, Chapter One, can still be daunting, so I often seek a little extra inspiration.

Then I looked up his bio. Darned if the man doesn't belong to the RWA. Who knew? Maybe he's given workshops at conferences I haven't attended. Either way, interesting.

I haven't had a chance to get too far into the book yet, but I've already encountered a few things that have impressed me and made me think, "Heck, yes!" (In more colorful terms, to be honest. I was in the reserves. I heard a few things.) I'm a little weary of the mention of push-ups, but I'm certainly looking forward to the rest of the book.