Protecting Your Work


Sleep on your writing; take a walk over it; scrutinize it of a morning; review it of an afternoon; digest it after a meal; let it sleep in your drawer a twelvemonth; never venture a whisper about it to your friend, if he be an author especially. ~A. Bronson Alcott

Amos Bronson Alcott, the father of Louisa May Alcott was a well-known educator and transcendentalist.In the quote Amos reminds writers how important their work is but the last line is very telling. It makes me wonder if in one of his discussions he said a little more than he should have. When we are passionate about our writing we want to tell everyone, it's hard to keep it to ourselves. Another reason Amos might have cautioned this is he knew that once you whisper about your work to a friend, it's out there you know longer feel the need to write it. Has this ever happened to you? You have a great idea for a article or a book and then you tell someone and then your great idea doesn't seem so remarkable anymore.Contain your enthusiasm for the pages. Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

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