Hmm, maybe I was right about pigeons after all. Always felt there was more going on - the way they looked at me - very suspicious. 😂

I developed the habit years ago, of writing and reading what I wrote over and over again. Got chided for doing this by others - stops the flow of creation they said.

But I'm wired to look for the best words I can find and if I feel like something isn't right, I can't go on. I can't tell myself, I'll get it on the rewrite. It's like leaving the house thinking - did I leave the stove on? I can't go and enjoy my shoe shopping if I got this thing hanging out there.

Does this make me a great writer (hmm, let me think about that) who knows, but I think people appreciate that I gave them the 14th version of paragraph 11, rather than the first. I'm trying to treat them like they're sitting next to me - but without the coffee and cheesecake.

I've read Colson. Read King's book on writing three times; read Zinsser's book five times and read all of Louis L'Amour's books - though not Elmore in this context, but every bit the exact no nonsense writer that Elmore was. They taught me a lot.

Excellent article.