Comments on: LBOT Preview: Meet Your Talented Illustrator

By: Danny Southwick

Danny Southwick — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:10:06 +0000

Hi Daniel!

It’s been a long time since we’ve spoken. I hope all is well. I thought that you’d find the following link interesting: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21242670. It is a medical article that talks about the role of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) in promoting the myelination of neural pathways. BDNF plays a big role in neuroplasticity because we need it for neurogenesis (the process of producing new neurons). One of the most widely discussed ways to increase BDNF is through physical exercise. Which made me realize that physical exercise is probably a nice way to supplement deep practice. Anyway, I just thought you’d be interested in that, considering your love of myelin producing activities

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:27:37 +0000

In college, Wendell Berry taught one of my writing classes. Early on he tried to prepare us for the hard work ahead. He didn’t want us to have any delusions. The first class he said something to the effect that writing was as painful and difficult as tending to a crop. Attention to detail in areas of word choice, punctuation, and every other element that goes into quality writing.

I use the same approach to teaching quarterbacks. On the first day, I warn them not to think that everyday is gameday. The work is tedious, monotonous, very detailed, and often painful. What someone sees on the game field is the product of work and preparation, much like what someone sees in a book is the product of revision after revision.

By: James H.

James H. — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:03:54 +0000

Spot on, Daniel. I cranked out a full-length novel draft between January and April this year. However, that required an hour a day, came only came after another, shorter draft, and still precedes who knows how many hours of line edits and “darling-killing”. Wish me luck.

By: edder

edder — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:40:57 +0000

2 thoughts 1. benn thinking about writing a lot lately–it is easy to just garble thoughts down. it is quite another to craft ideas. Second, i have long taken notes and memorized things thru pictures. Good to see i am not crazy

By: Mike Rohde

Mike Rohde — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:29:29 +0000

Thanks for the mentions Dan — can’t wait to see your book come together and I’m finding your thoughts on writing a book particularly true.

By: Jon Harnum

Jon Harnum — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:56:46 +0000

oops. mis-quoted the subtitle. It’s “What to Do When Words Don’t Work.” When ideas don’t work it’s probably time to re-think them.

By: Jon Harnum

Jon Harnum — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:55:23 +0000

Hey, Dan. Thanks for telling it straight about writing. It IS work, and to create something both meaningful and fun to read is hard work. Looking forward to checking out two new books now: yours and Mike’s. Just had a mind-opening experience with a similar sketch-based title from Dan Roam that you might want to check out, too. It’s called “Blah Blah Blah: What to Do When Ideas Don’t Work.” Good stuff.

By: Robin Clarkson

Robin Clarkson — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:13:19 +0000

For me as I write it’s organic as the ideas I have develop, grow and I uncover new information and aspects. Then it’s about correction and rewrite, correction and rewrite.

Thanks for making people aware what it’s really like to write.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:28:07 +0000

Actually, hearing that writing is this difficult IS kind of a shock. I’m currently working on my undergrad in a difficult science and working with a grad student who has been writing a proposal and gearing up for their defense. I thought that they would breeze right through the writing process. How wrong I was! I am blown away by the amount of personal and professional turmoil a person has to go through to write something great. Long hours, isolation, constant stress, it was all there. But, I guess that’s the real lesson: if you want to do something above and beyond the ordinary, you have to suffer a bit (okay, a lot).