Writing...Again
Last week, Steve Harrison had an clever article about not writing to actually become a better writer. He discussed the myth of writing "x" number of words a day to complete a writing goal and achieve greatness. He then went on to say, "Some might find the discipline helpful and productive. But for others, no amount of days or words will help. They will be just as crappy at the end as they were at the beginning. Crappier even." I agreed with him completely.
But then, I saw how I'd become quite the slacker in my own writing. This made me think. How did I go from 5-7 hours a day, at least five days a week to 5 hrs for the whole week? Forget the writing goals of getting in so many words a day. But how about just writing more again? Is there a happy balance between the two?
I went through the reasons of why things might've become lacking: Was I getting a little bored with myself? Did I feel my creativity was stifled, so why bother? Did I feel I was spending too much time writing instead of living? What was I waiting on? After all, doesn't practice help evolve us as writers?
Practice breathes new life into our stories, no matter if we are writing when we work on them or not writing to edit, craft or fix any issues within our story. As long as we're working on our next project, or not working because it's our passion and if it's your passion then it ceases to become work. Anyway, as long as we are moving forward with our projects it should be considered progress.
My goal is to get back to the passion of it all. Dive in and get lost in my own world as I let it swallow me whole. But, then again, is my goal not really a goal? If it was a goal then I'd be right back to square one of producing so many number of words a day to reach a hollow and sad destination, which would kill the ebb and flow of creativity and block barriers all writers are trying to break down.
It's a slippery slope and one can only fathom how to navigate it.
I'll leave you today with a quote that I like quite a bit from Hemingway:
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.
Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+
But then, I saw how I'd become quite the slacker in my own writing. This made me think. How did I go from 5-7 hours a day, at least five days a week to 5 hrs for the whole week? Forget the writing goals of getting in so many words a day. But how about just writing more again? Is there a happy balance between the two?
I went through the reasons of why things might've become lacking: Was I getting a little bored with myself? Did I feel my creativity was stifled, so why bother? Did I feel I was spending too much time writing instead of living? What was I waiting on? After all, doesn't practice help evolve us as writers?
Practice breathes new life into our stories, no matter if we are writing when we work on them or not writing to edit, craft or fix any issues within our story. As long as we're working on our next project, or not working because it's our passion and if it's your passion then it ceases to become work. Anyway, as long as we are moving forward with our projects it should be considered progress.
My goal is to get back to the passion of it all. Dive in and get lost in my own world as I let it swallow me whole. But, then again, is my goal not really a goal? If it was a goal then I'd be right back to square one of producing so many number of words a day to reach a hollow and sad destination, which would kill the ebb and flow of creativity and block barriers all writers are trying to break down.
It's a slippery slope and one can only fathom how to navigate it.
I'll leave you today with a quote that I like quite a bit from Hemingway:
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
SK Thomas is a writer, author, book reviewer and the curious creative complex brain behind this blog.
Keep in touch with the blogger/author:
Website: http://www.skthomasauthor.com
Twitter: @skthomasauthor
Member of Goodreads, LinkedIn & Google+
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