Just one more.

A lot of times when I get a new assignment, I get it because there's a lot of pressure. Either there's some mishigoss at the client, or we've struck out before, or the CEO wants to see things in two days and we're up against it.

It doesn't seem like anything these days is a walk in the park. An assignment where you can let the juices marinate for a while. You pretty much have to jump right into typing.

This blog has been good training for that.

I don't plan my posts.

I write, 90% of the time, in the morning. And I keep thinking about a topic until a topic strikes me. I've veered into my Mexican Baseball Days, my Uncle Slappy, the Tempus Fugit and even Doyle's Diary as fall backs when nothing comes.

Usually, when I'm faced with a ton of pressure and a cryptic brief (and what brief isn't cryptic) I'm able to make short work of it. I often have two spots doped out before the initial briefing is even over.

If the first check in is four hours away, or 24, I say to myself 'well, I have those. I'm ok.'

But then I do something difficult.

I've got two written but that's not good enough. I silence my surroundings, or walk around the block. I push myself to do "just one more."

Not one more like the first two.

One more that's different.

That doesn't come easy.

One more that could die a thousand deaths on its way to being written, but I don't let myself give up until I've got it.

I haven't tracked through the years the success rates of my just one mores. I don't know if, because I sweat over them, they're less good or more better than the ideas that came more fluidly.

I do know I keep doing just one more.

And usually when I'm done with that, just one more after that.