Lucky

Thriller-noir author Charlie Huston talks about the conflict between craftsmanship and commerce.

You get to a stage where there isn't a lot of time to reflect on decisions you are making in plot and the prose. You have to forge ahead and keep things moving. That sometimes necessitates some simplicity in the choices you are making. I might want to craft a sentence and ponder over it for a week but that week isn't there. Or I might be at a point where I don't want to go with a genre convention but I have to produce some pages. [snip]

You learn economy. It strips away self-indulgence. Just in the act itself it requires a certain amount of humility. You have to accept the fact that you might feel you can do better but in the moment you have to make a choice. Writing is an art but also a craft, which means it's a job. I don't teach. This is how the groceries get on the table. You sometimes make creative sacrifices to get the job done.

Perfection is a luxury that very few of us can afford. We have to get the work to a minimum acceptable standard---a standard that seems to keep rising in all areas of human endeavor---and then move on to the next project. In organizations it’s unfortunate that the least enjoyable tasks, such as reviewing subordinates’ work, are those that can bite us the hardest if we’re not paying attention. Charlie Huston is lucky; he has only himself to worry about. © 2007 Stephen Yuen