Enthusiasm

Quote for the Week

I'm having a problem getting back to a novel project I'd begun last year before all my daughter's orthopedic problems.

Finally, I diagnosed the problem when I read this quotation by automaker Walter Chrysler: "The real secret of success is enthusiasm."

Ah! The lightbulb illumines. I have no enthusiasm for the project any more. Perhaps it's time has come and gone? It's hard to dive into a project when one has little or no enthusiasm for it. What, I'm wondering, inspires the dearth of enthusiasm? The premise? The plot? The characters? The execution? Or is it merely an idea in which I wasn't fully invested from the beginning?

To find the answer, I'll spend some time analyzing the existing work. In so doing, I'll either catch fire or realize it's time to just start something new.

Takeaway Truth

Writing a novel is a long process, and one cannot possibly expect to successfully complete such an arduous task without enthusiasm.