Anthony's Rocks

I have about two months left to finish LOVE ANTHONY. Two months of writing, and then I need to edit, edit, edit, make sure the story WORKS, make sure I’ve told the truth. Please, God, let the story work. Please, when it’s done, let the story leave the reader with resonance, thinking, stunned, wowed.

But I have A LOT left to write before it’s done, and I’m scared. How do I get there from here? Lisa, you know the answer to this–word by word. See what’s in front of you and keep going. Today you are writing about Anthony’s rocks, and THAT IS ALL. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Yes, the end is near, but you can’t see it yet. You can’t skip over this part and be done. You have to write every word before you get to write THE END.

How great is that going to feel? I remember exactly how I felt when I declared the first drafts of STILL ALICE and LEFT NEGLECTED done. Euphoric. Like giving birth. Unburdened. Like I could finally exhale.

It’s not long now. Two more months. You’re almost there. Write about Anthony’s rocks. His pebbles. His beach stones. That’s all. Today is not THE END. So stop thinking about that and write.