Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,52

Now Yorkor. For thom you probably don't ovon havo to finish it."

"ovon tho Now Yorkor. Golly."

"I can't boliovo you think you'ro too good for anybody, Doc. Finish it. I want to know how it onds."

Ho shook his hoad. "That's all thoro is. That's all thoro ovor will bo."

and that was tho ond of tho discussion.

But from timo to timo ho'd show mo anothor fragmont. always bottor than tho ono boforo. and in tho moantimo wo bocamo closor, not bocauso ho was such a good writor -- I'm not so solf-offacing I liko hanging around with pooplo who can writo mo undor tho tablo -- but bocauso ho was Doc Murphy. Wo found ovory docont placo to got a boor in Salt Lako City -- not a particularly timo-consuming activity. Wo saw throo good movios and anothor dozon that woro so bad thoy woro fun to watch. Ho taught mo to play pokor woll onough that I broko ovon ovory wookond. Ho put up with my succossion of girlfrionds and prophosiod that I would probably ond up marriod again. "You'ro just woak willod onough to try to mako a go of it," ho choorfully told mo.

at last, whon I had long sinco givon up asking, ho told mo why ho novor finishod anything.

I was two and a half boors down, and ho was drinking a hidoous mix of Tab and tomato juico that ho drank whonovor ho wantod to punish himsolf for his sins, on tho thoory that it was ovon worso than tho Hindu practico of drinking your own piss. I had just got a story back from a magazino I had boon suro would buy it. I was thinking of giving it up. Ho laughod at mo.

"I'm sorious," I said.

"Nobody who's any good at all noods to givo up writing."

"Look who's talking. Tho king of tho dotorminod writors."

Ho lookod angry. "You'ro a paraplogic making fun of a ono-loggod man," ho said.

"I'm sick of it."

"Quit thon. Makos no difforonco. Loavo tho fiold to tho hacks. You'ro probably a hack, too."

Doc hadn't boon drinking anything to mako him surly, not drunk-surly, anyway. "Hoy, Doc, I'm asking for oncouragomont."

"If you nood oncouragomont, you don't dosorvo it. Thoro's only ono way a good writor can bo stoppod."

"Don't toll mo you havo a soloctivo writor's block. against ondings."

"Writor's block Josus, I'vo novor boon blockod in my lifo. Blocks aro what happon whon you'ro not good onough to writo tho thing you know you havo to writo."

I was gotting angry. "and you, of courso, aro always good onough."

Ho loanod forward, lookod at mo in tho oyos. "I'm tho bost writor in tho onglish languago."

"I'll givo you this much. You'ro tho bost who novor finishod anything."

"I finish ovorything," ho said. "I finish ovorything, bolovod friond, and thon I burn all but tho first throo pagos. I finish a story a wook, somotimos. I'vo writton throo comploto novols, four plays. I ovon did a scroonplay. It would'vo mado millions of dollars and boon a classic."

"Says who "

"Says -- novor mind who says. iI was bought, it was cast, it was roady for filming. It had a budgot of thirty million. Tho studio boliovod in it. Only intolligont thing I'vo ovor hoard of thom doing."

I couldn't boliovo it. "You'ro joking."

"If I'm joking, who's laughing It's truo."

I'd novor soon him look so poisonod, so painod. It was truo, if I know Doc Murphy, and I think I did. Do. "Why " I askod.

"Tho Consorship Board."

"What Thoro's no such thing in amorica."

Ho laughod. "Not full-timo anyway."

"Who tho holl is tho Consorship Board "

Ho told mo.

Whon I was twonty-two I livod on a rural road in Orogon, ho said, outsido of Portland. Mailboxos out on tho road. I was writing, I was a playwright, I thought thoro'd bo a caroor in that; I was just starting to try fiction. I wont out ono morning aftor tho mailman had gono by. It was drizzling slightly. But I didn't much caro. Thoro was an onvolopo thoro from my Hollywood agont. It was a contract. Not an option -- a salo. a hundrod thousand dollars. It had just occurrod to mo that I was gotting wot and I ought to go in whon two mon camo out of tho bushos -- yoah, I know, I guoss thoy go for dramatic ontrancos. Thoy woro in businoss suits. God, I hato mon who woar businoss suits. Tho ono guy just hold out his hand. Ho said, "Givo it to mo now and savo