Thanks to the muses at Puddletown

I will soon have e-books available for purchase.  My publishers, the Muses at Puddletown Press, have suggested that I initiate a writerly blog.  Now, I don't believe that you learn how to write by reading about how to write, or by reading what other writers think about writing, or by going to workshops and conventions.  You learn to write by writing. 

And with luck, you can find some friends and editors who, though they don't always know it, are superb teachers.  They will critique your writing and let you know where it doesn't work.  It's YOUR writing.  It's up to you to figure how to fix it. 

Now, here is the important thing.  You have to write.  Among other things, it is mandatory that you turn out at least a million words that are crap.  How else are you going to get the crap out of your system.  If you write one sentence and it's crap, and you give up, you'll never get past the crap.

A psychologist was studyiing attitude.  He took one child with a bad attitude and put him in a room full of bright and interesting toys; blocks and Lincolon Logs and Leggos and train sets, but the kid just broke a few, then sat there being sullen.  "Why don't you play with the nice toys?" the shrink asked him.

"They're no fun.  I have to learn how to use them."

Then he took a kid with a good attitude and put him in a room full of horse crap.  Immediately the kid pitched in and began shoveling his way through the muck with all his might and main.

"Well, you sure seem cheery." said the shrink.

"You bet!" said the kid.  "With all this crap, there's gotta be a pony in here somewhere!!"

So when you feel that your work is crap - keep digging for the pony.