telling tales

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One of the tricks of the trade in writing -- and maybe anything else -- is this:

Make up your mind: Is it the story that is important or is it what you think of the story?

If what you think of the story -- or pounding a nail or hiking up a mountain -- is the main concern, there will always be problems and the endeavor will be half-baked and rife with frustrated effort.

But if, having conceived of a story or decided to pound a nail, you simply surrender to what is at hand and let the story do the telling, then, although others may praise or blame the effort and although you may goof, still it is the best story.
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