Maintaining That Desire

Every day, in every way, we are each improving on formerly proven and

workable ideas, methods, words, and science. And each future generation

will continue to improve on our proven and monumental ideas.

I can’t help but think of the first cavemen, and how they surely

failed and succeeded so many times in their then-short life spans. We

truly do live in the best time in the world’s history.

Today a former president can have his life saved and extended merely

by having fairly routine by-pass surgery performed on his heart. And

if need be, his heart can then be re-energized years later by the use of

stents to prop open failed arteries. Years ago many of these heart patients

simply died for lack of the technology that is readily available today.

A few weeks ago I got the inspiration to try to invent a new way to

lift fingerprints off tape—specifically, duct tape. Duct tape is that gray

to repair aluminum heating air ducts, thus the name duct tape. It also

is the tape of choice of many killers. To my knowledge, fingerprints are

not easily lifted from the underside of duct tape. But I figured I could

find a new way to lift fingerprints. What was my motivation? I was just

frustrated with seeing many killers not being brought to justice because

the technology of the day lagged in this specific area of forensics.

Now, I didn’t really have the time to invest, the knowledge, or the

tools needed to invent some new-fangled way of lifting prints, but I

had the desire. Of course, I have not succeeded, as of this writing. But

I gave it a valiant effort and even surprised myself in my elaborate and

extensive experiments in my inventive pursuit. I did not give up, but I

have suspended my duct tape experiments for the time being.

My point in this example is this: The inspiration was there. But that

intense, never-ending drive was not, at least not at that time. Otherwise,

I would never have suspended the experiments, no matter how much

failure I encountered.

colored, very heavy, and strong-holding tape that was originally invented

   "We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success; we often

discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who

never made a mistake never made a discovery."

—Samuel Smiles

Writing books is much like inventing. A writer undertakes a

tremendous endeavor when he plans to write a new book. In the books

I have written, I would estimate that it took four to six years per book

from the thinking, planning stage until the first printing of the final

version. Talk about the need for perseverance and fortitude! There are

many times during the writing of a book when doubt sets in. Doubt

that I will be able to write enough words, or that it will make sense.

Doubt that the readers will like it at all. And doubt that the subject

matter is good enough. A seasoned writer can fight through all these

(1812-1904), Scottish author and reformer

what you hope will be the best material you have ever written.

But think about maintaining that intense drive for four or six years.

And it is an intense drive that motivates a writer to keep picking up that

pen, keep writing word after word, even when the words stop flowing.

There are times when I sit staring at a blank page, unable to write anything

worthwhile. A writer fights through this feeling, this black and negative

impulse. In my case, if I can push out even twenty words, I feel better, at

least for that moment, knowing that, with time, the flow of words will

resume. You see, with an intense desire to finish a book so deeply etched

into my subconscious mind, I know the positive impulse to continue

writing is ever-present. I will be motivated to continue writing, and also

to continue the thinking process that will work through any obstacles I

may be facing at that time.

So, a writer who completes a full book has that intense desire to

succeed. It is far easier to put the project on hold or just quit when faced

with an obstacle that seems insurmountable. And those obstacles are

usually many over a four-year period.

negative impulses, realizing that this is normal in the process of writing

     "For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries

again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for

something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed.

Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed."

—Ernest Hemingway