Conversation

"Explain it to me."

"What?"

"The reason you just deleted the last three chapters of your book."

"They were crap."

"Really? I didn't think they were that bad. Sure, they needed a bit of work --"

"A bit of work? Are you delusional?"

"Hey. Be nice. All I'm saying is that there was some salvageable stuff there. You didn't have to get rid of it all."

"I disagree."

"Are you sure it's about the ending?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying, are you sure it was about the ending? Or, maybe it was about ending."

"You're veering pretty far into Psych 101 with that one."

"Bear with me here. You have to admit you've been procrastinating."

"I'd call it writer's block."

"Bull shit. It's procrastination, pure and simple. You know how the story ends. You know what needs to happen. I think you're afraid of finishing it."

"Now you sound like Cam and Angela."

"They're smart. You should listen to them."

"I do. And you're all probably right. Once I finish it, it's done. And that's scary."

"Why?"

"You know as well as I do what happens after I finish."

"You finish your book, it gets line edited and a pretty cover. You send it on its merry way and you start the next book. Easy."

"What if it's not that good?"

"Don't make me slap you. You're being absolutely ridiculous and it's embarrassing."

"I know. I can't help it though. There's this dark little piece of my brain that wonders if I'll be exposed as a fraud."

"Are you?"

"What?"

"Are you a fraud?"

"Aren't we all?"

"Touché."

"So. What are you going to do now?"

"Plant my ass and re-write the ending."

"Give yourself a deadline. You've been procrastinating that as well."

"I gave myself a deadline. It flew by. As did my three extensions."

"Make another one. You're not finishing it binge watching Making a Murderer. Draw a red circle on your calendar and get this thing off your shoulders. Once it's done, you can start something else. We both know you have more fun drafting than editing."

"A big red circle, huh?"

"Yes. And then stick to it like glue. You can do this. I know you can. And if everyone hates it, well, at least you have me."

"Yeah. You're pretty rockin'."

"I hear the sarcasm, but I am."

"No false modesty for you."

"Why be fake when you're talking to yourself?"

"Right. Because no one ever lies to themselves."

"You don't."

"I know."