Second, speaking of writing, this quotation spoke to me...
This is true, and unavoidable, and actually kind of reassuring if you think about it. But I think my friends feel let down when they tell me they're going to try writing fiction, and I tell them something like this. ("Great! Listen, it'll suck at first, but that's normal, so just let it.") They want me to tell them how to skip the unpleasantness and get to the good writing. I'd like that shortcut too, but there isn't one. As with many difficult things in life, there's no way around; the only way is through.
