We’re not shipping syrup to the Serengeti

The writing has not been going well. Deleted pages, blank pages, no pages. It’s easy to get frustrated, to blow everything out of proportion, and to get discouraged.

That’s when having friends in the industry is such a help. One of my writing friends told me when the work threatens to overwhelm, and the anxieties grow, she takes a breath and says, “You’re not shipping syrup to the Serengeti.” As in, this isn’t life and death. As in, take it down a notch.

And not just that, but I have the best...