It’s finally here: the official release of The Fence My Father Built. I’ve been so busy teaching writing classes and being in a funk this past week, I nearly forgot to be overjoyed to see my baby in print. They say writers are a moody lot, prone to depression, isolation and abusing the drink. I’m not a drinker, but lately I have seriously questioned my forward progress as a novelist. That’s because the moment a novel is published, the whole world clamors for novel number two, three, four. And so on. It’s even worse if NO ONE clamors for novel #2. Now that could lead even a teetotaller like me to hit the sauce. Well, maybe not, because I get migraines.
I’m letting you in on my secret moodiness to illustrate a point: Even the most accomplished writer occassionally harbors doubts. I’ll betcha even Stephen King sometimes wonders if he’ll ever write another decent sentence. We all get mopey, sure, and some of us even begin frantically fearing failure. But the reality is that the fear of failure is distinct from the likelihood of failure. I’ve succeeded in the past, so the likelihood of failure in the future is minimal compared to the fear of failure that my brain manufactures. I win if I write. Write through those fears and suddenly a new world opens up and we’re off again, putting down our ideas as fast as we can.
The cure for the writer’s funk is to write. Allow yourself to feel the pride of accomplishment if you’re lucky enough as I am, to see that novel in print. If you hear whooping, that’s just me, celebrating.
Writing Tip of the Day: In a class I taught last night, a student said, “Oh I don’t know if I can do this–writing a novel sounds like so much work!” To that student, and anyone else who doubts they have the will to finish a novel: Get on board with 3 rules for writers.

• Learn to write quickly. Don’t allow your inner editor to participate when you are creating.
• While drafting a novel, focus on the process, not on the end result. As Faulkner said, Do you want to be able to say you have written or do you want to write?
• Learn to tell the difference between the actual risk of failure and the fear of failure. If you work on your skills, practice (alot!) and don’t give up, success is far more likely. Get your BIC (bottom in chair) and write! And if you need a good book to read, go get a copy of The Fence My Father Built!