Every writer's best friend: EGO

I just passed 18,000 words on my novel. My goal, which I just set spur-of-the moment, is to reach 32,500 words by the end of the month.

Why?

Because that is exactly half of the minimum word count I'm shooting for. And because it sounds big--which is important because my ego needs boosting. It's been under the weather. It needs the equivalent of a get-well card and roses. Or a vacation in a new, exciting place.


Now, it may sound like I'm rambling, but I have a point to make. Ego, my dear readers, is a writer's best friend. Unless said writer is doing edits. In that case, it's a writer's worst enemy. Let me try again:

Ego is a writer's best friend when a writer is writing his or her first draft.

Why, you ask?

Well, creative writing is a hard job. First, you have to believe that you have a brilliant idea. Second, you have to have the courage to actually write the darn book. That courage is hard to come by. Believe me.

When you are wavering on the cliff of egolessness and despair, convinced that your work is trite, cliche, formulaic, ego comes to the rescue. It steps in and rather pompously declares to your beleaguered writing brain that your work is amazing, the world/people/story you have created are intensely interesting, devastatingly funny, charming, brilliant, witty...you get the picture.

Of course, Ego tends to be an insanely fair-weather friend. Like it's infamous cousin, Muse, it runs off at the darnedest times. At those times, I refer to it as Egor. It makes me feel better. Although, it can get rather awkward calling, "Egor, come back!"