Ramblings on writing #2

I finished chapter one of my new book this morning. I've taken a bit more time, but for good reason. Firstly, I thrive on routine and the holiday broke my stride. I'm also being more cautious. That stems from both the good and the bad. The more you do, the more you learn, and this is a learning process. You have to try to get better and part of that is about feeding the lessons of the old into the new. The downside is the tension between writer and author, the creative and commercial. I love the world of writing. It is creative, challenging and rewarding. The commercial side is different. I am discovering every day that it can be brutal, and unforgiving. The more you discover the commercial the more you fight to stop it infecting the creative. Try as you may, it does, but you have to start from the point of doing what you love. You have to overcome the fear. You have to believe in what you do.

I read a post the other day that said if you do it for the coin then it isn't art. An extreme stance, but one most creatives are sympathetic to. So the lesson I'm sharing today is a simple one. Be careful. Be cautious. Try to be the best you can be, but don't let the commercial cripple you.