#439: Avoidance

There are few forces in my life stronger than manuscript avoidance. Whenever I go down an online research vortex – researching cameras, researching woodworking tools, researching different types of attic insulation – it’s usually because I’m avoiding the manuscript. Sometimes the only way I make tedious phone calls is if I’m making them instead of working on the novel.

The avoidance is most intense at a certain stage of writing: I’ve already written some words, but they’re not in any shape to rev...