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"As you work further, you are faced more and more with the fact that it's not going to be everything. You try to make this as good as it can be, but it's not going to encompass the whole world. That's where the disillusionment sets in." 
                                                                          ~ Mona Simpson           

Perfectionism paralyzes writers. Sooner or later, you come to terms with the fact that your work will not be all that you hoped and imagined. 

This is as it should be. NO writing should commence without broad dreams and high ambitions.

Let the scaling down come as you work, not before.

Your work, patiently pursued, will ground itself of its own accord. It will gradually show you its limitations and compromises. Because we are humans, no perfectly achieved project is possible or even desirable.

Disillusion is a natural stage that follows the holding of an illusion. How could you start a large project without an 
illusion -- an image of what it might be? How could you complete it without a gradual coming down to earth?

Don't make your compromises and adjustments in advance. Let them come as you work.

        ~ from Walking on Alligators: A Book of Meditations for Writers
         by Susan Shaughnessy  (Harper, 1993) 

This is better than great! You guys are really writing in. We're on a roll!

Very funny. We've got a new comment from our new friend Will:

I think the Sea of Monsters is a good book because Percy Jackson goes on an adventure with Annabeth and a new friend named Tyson to go and save Grover from the evil cyclops.

Good job, Will. Come and get your free book. I agree with you on the Sea Of Monsters. I knew that if I kept telling you all about Percy Jackson that you'd like it. Will, you are also in the running for our free T-shirt.

Would you stop with the pictures!!!!!!! I meant that you are are now in the contest to win a free T-shirt from Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson author. The boy who sends in the most comments, talking about books, by January 21 will win a T-shirt that looks like this:
By the way, the standings now are:
Will--1 enrty

cyber kid 303--3 entries

Anonymous--1 entry

Tyler--1 entry

Still plenty of time! So keep on writing!

Carl