Another Letter to the Literators: On Slowing Down and Drilling Deep

Dear Literators,

I’ve got disagreeable news and wickedawesome news. The wickedawesome first:

Business is picking up. I’m learning more about my craft than ever, and am even drawing up plans for massive collaboration with names bigger than my petty John Handcock. It’s a blast.

Now for the disagreeable news:

I’m running on fumes in my Influence, Catalyst, Kreativity, Erudition, Revelation, Brainwave, Education and Encouragement department—or as I like to call it, Ickerbees (sounds like a gross Lovecraftian/Kingian monster, eh?). I’ve read a paltry half-book a week recently, but have continued to crank out the same dose of content on here, in my private sphere, and in the business-class end of the plane.

In addition, I’ve become something of a stat-monkey, paying more attention to charts than to fostering good conversation and dialog. I’m against elitism in any form, in showing favoritism, and when I find it within myself, I gag. Once upon a time, I knew a man who cared so much about the stats on his blog, he ran his family and friendships into the ground. Started to see that in myself last week, a future addiction to blog-stats, and decided to squash it.

Because I don’t want to skimp in the quality of anything I’m doing (and because I want to keep myself from elitism), I need to dumb down the quantity of posts. For now, I’m cutting down from 4-5 posts a week to 1-2. Everything will defer to The Last of the Tellers since that keeps a consistent readership, but I need to slow down, drill deep and drink deep of what I find down there:

“Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.”

– Stephen King

Otherwise, the ulcers generated by my over-analyzing mind will come back.

When the ulcers come back, metamorphosis of the Kafkan-variety happens to my insides. When metamorphosis of the Kafkan-variety happens to my insides, a growth sprouts on my hip. When a growth sprouts on my hip, it grows into a symbiotic creature named Belial from the movie Basket Case. When a symbiotic creature name Belial sprouts on my hip, he eventually pulls free and turns into a doppelgänger named “Anti-Lance” like at the end of the Mortal Combat games or Scott Pilgrim VS The World (comic or movie), and tries to take over the free world.

Don’t let Anti-Lance take over the free world.

Cheer Proto-Lance on as he slows down to read, fills up his Ickerbees quota, and generates dadgumgoodwritin’ for his clients (future and present) as well as for you fine liberators of all things lit. You people rock, so thanks for your continued support.

Hugs, Kisses and Argyle,

Lancelot of the Tribe of Cobblers

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  1. Doberman

    I think it is a good idea. Viva Proto-Lance! Down with Anti-Lance! Besides, a blog shouldn’t give you ulcers. :-C. Yikes!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Nah, the blog doesn’t at all. I enjoy it on here. (Maybe I need to reword that).

      What gives me ulcers is the unyielding habit I have of putting my hand in too many baskets at once and refusing to prioritize which ones are more important. When I care more about getting five posts done than I do about the people or the content, something’s off.

      Turns out that “something” is simply time management, so I’ll step back, reevaluate, reorder, reread the books that mean the most to me and come back stronger.

      Trust me, you guys don’t give me ulcers. My brain gives me ulcers.

      1. Doberman

        Hmmmm…sounds similar to my saying yes to various volunteer projects and then having panic attacks.

        1. Doberman

          Anxiety is not anachronistic in my world.

        2. lanceschaubert

          Anachronistic as in I worry about the same things as most retirees, like I’m bound to die prematurely or something. Go figure.

          “No” has a big part of it, but it’s more that as soon as I get a creative idea, I think I need to start it and stop everything else. The idea journal my wife got me helped in a very Edison/Tesla/DaVinci sort of way, but I’m still learning to trust that:

          1. I’ll never be able to act on every idea
          2. Even the best ideas need marinating time
          3. Even if they didn’t, they can still wait until I’ve finished what I started

          This combined with the drive to finish which didn’t come until college ended up creating a lot of anxiety after ’09. Gotta tame the creative a bit, organize him. It’s like having an accountant and a graffiti artist constantly debating in my brain.

          Thus Anti-Lance.

  2. Doberman

    CONGRATULATIONS on the bonanza of work! That should take priority anyway. Also, one or two posts is fine with me…I can do more brain-thinkin’ that way and also work more. Hahaha!

    1. lanceschaubert

      Hahaha, nice. Yeah, I figure if the LotT is constant, then I can hop around from the monday, wednesday, friday as I please.

      Also expect some guest posts from dead writers.

  3. logankstewart

    Mirrored traditional sympathies, friend. Quality > quantity for sure with this one.

    1. lanceschaubert

      Done and done.

Quick note from Lance about this post: when you choose to comment (or share this post with your friends) you help other readers just like you.

How?

Well, see, your comments & sharing whisper a few things to those who come after you:

The first is that this site is a safe place to speak up & stay curious. That it's civil. That discussion is encouraged. That there's no such thing as a stupid question (being a student of Socrates, I really and truly believe this). That talking to one another and growing together is more important than anything we could possibly publish. That the point is growing in virtue and growing together and growing wise. That discovery is invention, deference is originality, that we all can rise together. The only folks I'm going to take comments down from are obvious jerks who argue in bad faith, don't stay curious, or actively make personal attacks. And, frankly, I'd rather we talk here than on some social media farm — I will never show ads and the only thing I'm selling anywhere on the site or my mailing list is just the stuff I make.

You're also helping folks realize that anything you & they build together is far more important than anything you come to me to read. I take the things I write about seriously, but I don't take myself seriously: I play the fool, I hate cults of personality, and I also don't really like being the center of attention (believe it or not). I would much rather folks connect because of an introduction I've made or because they commented with one another back and forth and then build something beautiful together. My favorite contributions have been lifelong business and love partnerships from two people who have forgotten I introduced them. Some of my closest friends NOW I literally met on another blog's comment section fifteen years ago. I would love for that to happen here — let two of you meet and let me fade into the background.

Last, you help me revise. I'm wrong. Often. I'm not embarrassed to admit it or worried about being cancelled or publicly shamed. I make a fool out of myself (that's sort of the point). So as I get feedback, I can say, "I was wrong about that" and set a model for curious, consistent learning, and growing in wisdom. I'm blind to what I don't know and as grows the island of my knowledge so grows the shoreline of my ignorance. It's the recovery of innocence on the far end of experience: a child is in a permanent state of wonder. So are the wise: they aren't afraid of saying, "I don't know. That's new: please teach me." That's my goal, comments help. And I read all reviews: my skin's tough, but that's not license to be needlessly cruel. We teach one another our habits and there's a way to civilly demolish an idea without demolishing another person: just because I personally can take the world's meanest 1-star review doesn't mean we should teach one another how to be crueler on the internet.

For three magical reasons — your brave curiosity, your community, & my ignorance:

Please comment & share with friends how you prefer to share:

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