We live in a world where speed is seen as a virtue, where faster equals better. We are conditioned to expect instant gratification. Tasks must be done with maximum efficiently so we can quickly move on to the next task on our list. This culture of speed breeds increasing impatience. We become annoyed if we have to wait in traffic or if we have a slow internet connection.
But writing well is not about speed. It’s a different world, a different mind set, measured not by the clock or the calendar, but by the quality of the product. It is a world based on infinite patience, where, as the saying goes, “Good things take time.” That’s the way it should be. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that. It’s a valuable lesson, not only in writing but in most other things in life. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to create something of worth. Even if it takes a lifetime.