Aim Low

One of my favorite books is called Rules of Thumb 2. The volume offers thousands of guidelines for any number of essential day-to-day activities, such as properly estimating a submerged crocodile’s length and surviving a pistol duel. The dueling hint was submitted by historian Jim Barber, who writes: “When dueling with firearms, always aim lower than your opponent’s vital area–to pierce the heart, aim at the knees.” This is something you’d do well to keep in mind in these early days of Week One.

Abandon the stultifying notion of brilliance and aim instead fro the low mark of completion. It’ll take the pressure off of you, which will allow your writing to become looser and more ambitious, paradoxically raising the quality of your book. It’s Barber’s law: Aiming low is the best way to succeed.