Day Zero
Earlier today I was sitting in the dentist's chair. On his ceiling was a pseudo newspaper with witty items and games, presumably to keep you amused while you're waiting for the real show to start. After I figured out the mathematical quiz (about 3rd grade level), one item caught my eye, a quote by Will Rogers: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." That made me think about my writing career. My stalled writing career. Some two years ago, having sold my software consulting company, I decided to fulfill my dream of writing a book -- a mystery. Had I known at the time the amount of sweat and tears (no blood so far) it would take, I probably would have taken up painting instead. I didn't just decide to become a writer one day -- I'd worked as a reporter for several years before going back to school for an MBA -- but I was blissfully ignorant of what it took to write a book . So, I started writing. And I pl...