Timbre!

Writing never changes, it is always and forever one word after another, and it doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you’ve written the words “Chapter One” of the fiftieth time you’ve written the phrase “Fade Out”. And yet the writing does change. I can’t yet say what this is, but I got sent a contract yesterday for a writing project I’ve been officially working toward for a few months, and unofficially working toward for, well, my entire writing career to date. So, you know, no pressure. And there isn’t: once I sign, I have to get it done, but there is no question that I won’t. I like this a lot: you spend so long trying to convince someone to hire you as a writer and then the moment they do, there is never again any question over whether you can write or not. It’s a question of when you can deliver. Maybe that’s the difference. No doubt, no question, not really. Well, there should be: I’ve been let down as an editor enough to know better. But the negotiations typically go into…