Writing Tip:The first rule of intelligent tinkering is ...?

 "...to save all the parts," says Paul Ehrlich (but then, he was a physician and scientist.)

In novel writing, I hereby declare that the first rule of intelligent tinkering is:

Saul Steinberg

I hardly dare tell you how much and how often I've tinkered with the first three chapters of Falling Awake

O, that way madness lies.

I have to ask myself WHY DO I DO IT?

Once I've completed the novel (she says, optimistically) the first three chapters will surely change anyway.

Tinkering totally inhibits any forward progress with the rest of the story and saps me of inspiration and enthusiasm.

SO - NO MORE.

(but there must be a better word than 'flaming' I could use on line 1, page 4? Let me just consult Mr. Roget and his oversized Thesaurus...)

AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH...

Three things you need to become a successful novelist

Allegedly.

According to Michael Chabon, "an acclaimed and bestselling author whose works include the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay " so I guess we'd better listen to him.

Here they are:

"Talent, luck and discipline. Discipline is the one element of those three things that you can control, and so that is the one that you have to focus on controlling, and you just have to hope and trust in the other two.”

I'm very like an octopus on rollerskates then. (That's assuming I have any talent.)

My writing friend, Chitra Soundar, puts me to shame. Every day.

She works full time in a bank. She gets up every day between 5 and 6 and writes 1000 words.

I truly admire her. 

This morning, I got up at 5.59 a.m. I wrote 1000 words on a piece of paper.

Then, just to be on the safe side, I wrote it again.

I didn't feel the hoped for sense of achievement.

Am I missing something here, Chitra?