COMMITMENT PAYS OFF

                        COMMITMENT PAYS OFF FOR ASPIRING NOVELIST

                    SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AMERICAN WAY MAGAZINE CARRIED A FASCINATING INTERVIEW WITH BEST -SELLING NOVELIST DAVID BALDACCI. BALDACCI IS THE AUTHOR OF THE IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL NOVELS ABSOLUTE POWER, TOTAL CONTROL AND THE WINNER. MILLIONS OF COPIES OF HIS BOOKS HAVE BEEN SOLD.

                   LET ME ASSURE YOU, HOWEVER, THAT BALDACCI WAS NO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS WERE THE RESULT OF HIS TOTAL COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING OF DEVOLING HIS TALENTS AS A  WRITER. LIKE ME, BALDACCI STARTED OUT AS A LAWYER. HE STARTED LAW SCHOOL IN 1983 AND DIDN'T GIVE ANY THOUGHT TO BECOMING A BEST-SELLING NOVELIST. HE SIMPLY ENJOYED WRITING.

                   YET, AT THE OUTSET, BALDACCI KNEW THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE NECCESSARY WRITING SKILLS, SO HE MADE A COMMITMENT, AS HE PUT IT, TO LEARN THE CRAFT OF WRITING. FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, HE DIDN'T FINISH ANY OF HIS PROJECT. EVERY DAY, HE JUST WORKED ON CHARACTERS, PLOT DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER WRITING BASICS. 

                  AT THE TIME, HE WAS A PRACTICING LAWYER, AND HE AND HIS WIFE HAD TWO YOUNG CHILDREN. WHEN DID HE FIND THE TIME TO DO THIS WRITING? BALDACCI WORKED ON HIS WRITING EVERT NIGHT FROM 10.00 PM UNTIL 2.00 AM. NOW, THAT'S A COMMITMENT TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT HE HAD FUN WRITING-IT WASN'T A CHORE. BY THE WAY, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU STAY UP ALL NIGHT TO PURSUE YOUR GOAL-THAT 10.00 PM TO 2.00 AM SHIFT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WORK FOR ME, AND IT MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU, EITHER!

                AFTER 10 YEARS OF WRITING, BALDACCI HAD COMPLETED SOME SHORT STORIES AND A FEW SCREENPLAYS, HIS TOTAL SALES: ZERO ALL THAT HE HAD TO SHOW FOR HIS EFFORTS WERE  A LOT OF REJECTION FROM EDITORS. 

               IN 1996, ALL OF BALDACCI'S EFFORTS PAID OFF...... BIG TIME! HE RECEIVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE LITERALLY AND MOVIE RIGHTS TO HIS BLOCBUSTER THRILLER ABSOLUTE POWER. THE START OF THE MOVIE WAS CLINT EASTWOOD. SUCH IS THE POWER OF A PERSON WHO IS COMMITTED.