Hello again. So far no exact hits on the flowers, but we still have time. Maybe it will come to someone in a dream tonight.

Has anyone read “The Secret” or seen the DVD? I have not although I have a pretty good understanding of the principle, the fact that everything in the Universe is made up of energy, that the energy we’re giving out is what we attract etc. So very simply, the active practice of visualizing your life the way you want it, whether it be love, or money or work, is one in which you can control by changing your energy toward those things, bringing it into your life by repetitive meditative/visualization type practice.

I think according to those who practice it, that we do this anyway– we attract in life the things we focus on– so why not try to have some conscious control over it, why not try to guide your life by drawing your desires to you. If this works I’ll be living in a loft apartment in Soho and making my living solely by writing. I’ll also be setting my morning coffee cup down on the washboard abs of my dream man– but that goes without saying. But even if it doesn’t, I think I’ll have fun dreaming about the loft in Soho. (And the man with the washboard abs). And my life wouldn’t change all that much if I were making a living soley on writing. Yes, I’d have the loft and the washboard abs, but the process of writing wouldn’t change. I’m living that now. Anyone who is a writer, and writes, is already living the bulk of their dream. I’m not saying getting published isn’t wonderful– it is. And anyone can get there who wants it. And having others read your work is wonderful, but let’s face it, most writers don’t earn their living on writing alone, and even when your book does get published, it’s very easy to get lost in the Cosmos of all the books coming out, especially if you don’t have a big publicity budget. So it means keeping up the energy of not only your current book, but your future books. (If you’re not a writer, you can apply the same theory to your passion, the principles are the same). We’re all living the life we’ve created by not only our decisions, but our beliefs, and where we focus our energy.

Writers know first hand the power of the imagination, how “real” suddenly your characters seem, we do this naturally. Which doesn’t mean we don’t get stuck. I’m in the midst of the first draft of my third book, and first drafts are extremely difficult for me. I resist them for some reason. I absolutely love rewriting– as long as I have something to work with, I’m confident I can take it where it needs to go. There are a few things that really help me when I’m stuck. One is listening to other writers, ones who have written many books, confess that they too struggle. They struggle, they have doubts, they judge what they’ve just written as lining for the bird cage, they stress out. Just like me. Tolstoy burned Anna Karenina nine times. 9 Times. Burned. 9 Times. That’s oddly comforting to me– think about it– no laptops in his day.

Another thing that helps me out is reading books on writing. A few that I read often– Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver. Gotham Writer’s Workshop. The Marshall Plan for Writing A Novel. Plot and Structure by James Bell, and currently I’m reading David Morrell’s Lessons from A Lifetime of Writing. Anything by Natalie Goldberg is great for motivation like Wild Mind or Writing Down the Bones. Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way is good. Ann Lamont’s “Bird by Bird” is good. Reading tons of books in the genre you want to write in and actually analyzing them is great too. Writing is a craft, it can be learned, we get to be original, but there are tools and structures to get us there. If you’re stuck it’s not because you’re a bad writer, it’s probably because you didn’t use the right tool. Isn’t wonderful that because of a shared love of craft others are willing to teach us what works for them? Isn’t it exciting when we try it and it works for us? Some things don’t work for me. But it helps me focus on what does. Some days are horrible. Some days I think I’ll never finish the book. But I know these are just monsters under the bed. In the light of the day they’re actually just huge dust bunnies. And they’ll go away if you just get out the vacuum. Basically I guess I’m telling you you just have to suck it up– but I was trying to be polite.

I know at some point, as long as I go back to it every day, the kinks will start to work themselves out. I really need to start applying this practice to exercise– it’s no different. Okay Tae Bo, here I come again.

I love reading these books, I still struggle through first drafts but I finish them. And then I rewrite. And then I rewrite some more. And then I read something that I think is total shite and I feel like I’m a great writer. And then I read something I think it a million times better than I’ll ever write and I start looking despairingly at the East River. And then I go back to writing. Following your instincts and your voice is never more important than when you’re working on your own projects, but thanks to other writers sharing the craft, we don’t have to do it alone.

I PROBABLY won’t be able to post until tomorrow evening before my blind date. (Bet you can’t wait for Wednesdays report on it, can you?) Until then, keep guessing flowers, and/or I’d love to hear your thoughts on “The Secret”. Have you ever tried it? Do you feel like you are responsible for the things you’ve attracted into your life? Do you feel you have the power to attract whatever you wish into existence? Can you all picture me in a Soho loft while you’re at it?