THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5th - SANTA CRUZ

"Day 5"

It's funny, I started out saying a few days ago that all a writer can really promise him/herself is space - and that's just what a person often doesn't have on a road trip.

But I locked myself into my sister's apartment today and wrote another 3400 words ... just needed to create the space for it, and I was able to write it.

I don't agree with Julia Cameron ('The Artists Way") about everything, but I do agree with her about this at least: "eventually you will find it is easier to write than not to write" - that being blocked is ultimately more painful than letting the work flow.

I find that is absolutely true for me. Driving around, thinking about the novel but not actually writing it, worrying about how good it is, and whether I'll ever be able to adequately develop all the themes and ideas I'm introducing - is MUCH harder and more miserable than just sitting down and writing the damn thing, during which time I am doing my best to make it as good as I can make it - to address the problems, to develop the ideas - at least then I'm doing something. That's really the best I can promise myself, to keep showing up and do my best in the moment. Any more, any less, is crazy-making.

Chapters 2, 3, and 4 are all off to very good starts ...

Tomorrow, Berkeley!!

TOTAL WORD COUNT 8,462

Words to be written: 41,538