A friend sent me a link to Steven Pressfield\u2019s website and this article posted 2 days ago: \u201cResistance and \u2018Hooks.’\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n A lot of you may\u00a0know Pressfield. He wrote, among other things,\u00a0The Legend of Bagger Vance<\/a><\/em> I blogged about this book over a year ago\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hooks: things that distract you and fool you into not working, excuses to\u00a0cave into resistance.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re involved in any sort of creative endeavor\u2014writing being only one of them\u2014I really think Pressfield is a breath of fresh air. \u00a0Here is a portion of his\u00a0post.<\/p>\n A \u201chook\u201d is an action or statement designed to provoke a response.<\/em><\/p>\n A hook is always hostile and always bears evil intent. (See this prior post,\u00a0\u201cThe Principal and the Profile.\u201d<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a working artist, people are throwing hooks at you all day.<\/em><\/p>\n Hurling a hook is a symptom of Resistance.<\/em><\/p>\n One of the critical skills the working artist needs to acquire is how to avoid being hooked by hooks.<\/em><\/p>\n Okay, what\u2019s an example of a hook?<\/em><\/p>\n 1. Someone tells you they read your short story and they find your attitude \u201cextremely insensitive and offensive\u201d to \u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad_________________. [Pick a group\/victim.]<\/em><\/p>\n 2. Someone approaches you and tells you they hate your work. You have no talent, you stink, you should not be afforded the forum to show your stuff in public.<\/em><\/p>\n 3. Someone tells you that your words\/actions\/images have hurt them deeply. They are suffering acutely because of your cruelty, whether conscious or not.<\/em><\/p>\n 4. Someone tells you they\u2019re in love with you. You are perfect, you walk on water, they were meant to be with you and can prove it if you give them the chance.<\/em><\/p>\n Hooks can come at you from complete strangers or from those who are closest to you.<\/em><\/p>\n What do these hookers want? They want your attention. They want you to engage with them.<\/em><\/p>\n Click on the link above to see the rest of Pressfield\u2019s\u00a0post. And you may be intersted in a related book of his,\u00a0Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life\u2019s Work<\/a>![\"hook\"](\"https:\/\/peteenns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/hook.jpg\")
<\/a>I tell myself this several times a day.<\/p>\n