“A work in progress quickly becomes feral. It reverts to a wild state overnight… it is a lion growing in strength. You must visit it every day and reassert your mastery over it. If you skip a day, you are, quite rightly, afraid to open the door to its room. You enter its room with bravura, holding a chair at the thing and shouting, ‘Simba!’”
– Annie Dillard
A friend posted this on Facebook today and I couldn’t help but think, “Ain’t that the truth!” I’ve got a wild, feral thing sitting in Scrivener right now. I’m completely terrified of it, but determined to battle it back into submission. Well, cooperation, at least.
What about you? Does this ring true?
Yes, it does! In fact, I’m reading blogs and typing this comment as lion-avoidance right now . . .
Yes, it rings thrice true in my case. Currently whipped, beaten and subdued. Not sure if there is a chair big enough, a whip long enough, to tackle the beast again. But, I surely think you should!
Yes, but only if it’s going well. If not, sometimes skipping a day is just the right thing.
Totally true! I do get very intimidated if I spend too long away from a project. Good luck taming that feral thing :)