The Power of a Promise

I had this brilliant idea about planning, writing, publishing, and promoting a book on my blog (The Writing Life) for all the world to see. It was daunting, but I did it. The whole process took six months—from concept to completion, except for implementing the marketing plan. I have no idea who followed my progress, or, to be honest, if anyone did. But I operated on the assumption that I had a large and loyal following. If people were actually reading the blog, they would expect me to honor my commitment.

The draft that appeared on The Writing Life was not the final one, of course. The manuscript underwent so many edits, it was probably unrecognizable at the end. But having an audience (even a make-believe one) forced me to stick to my self-imposed deadlines, no matter what. After forty years, I'm a pretty disciplined writer, but this book demanded more of me than anything I had done in the past.

It's funny how the lessons of your childhood never leave you. In my family, a promise was never broken. Saying I would see this through from beginning to end—in cyberspace—was a promise I made to my invisible audience. That alone got me through even the toughest times.