Willpower, Duncan. Willpower!

The reaction so far to "Takeover" has been the best I've ever gotten. They liked it at writer's group last night. My own appraisal is that it is the best thing I've done. A mature work.

By now, I figure my last effort has probably been rejected by my publisher, but he's just not saying anything yet. So my temptation is to throw the first 100 pages at him and say, "Here's something completely different."

But if there is one thing I've learned it's don't let go of something until you are finished. I just didn't have that patience 38 years ago. Now I have to use my willpower to overrule my impulse.

Now I'm a great believer in impulse. Without impulse nothing gets done. At least for me.

But I do believe there is a good book here, and it's more likely to be a good book if I am patient and write all the way to the end and then go over it again, and then maybe even again.

So...much as I wish I could get some reassurance that my publisher will still be willing to look at the finished product, I'm going to hold off until I'm done.

Willpower, Duncan. Willpower!