Thursday, July 5, 2012

Writing: Writing

I don't believe in writer's block.

Well, that isn't technically true. It's true in the sense that I don't believe that it's ever genuinely impossible to write. You can always write something, even if all you do is look down at your feet and describe the stitching on your shoes. You just can't count on writing anything good. So I've always assumed that writer's block is about people refusing to write something that isn't, or may not be, good--that it's a brand of perfectionism. I'm under the impression that I'm firmly opposed to perfectionism and that I have no perfectionist tendencies.

So why haven't I blogged since June 18?

Hmmm. I suspect that I fell prey to perfectionism after all. I found myself thinking that "I don't have anything to write about." But that runs entirely counter to my writing philosophy, which is to write (and write and write) and decide afterward whether the writing contains a kernel of anything worth reading--or writing more about. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that I need to post every little bit of nonsense that I write. But when my blog is sitting there quiet and lonely for (math, math...) sixteen days, I'd argue that it does mean that it's time for the posting of the nonsense. Hence this post. See?

Even more nonsensically, I find that I can't (well, won't, but it feels like can't) post without a picture. What's with that? Sure, everybody likes a nice yawning cat, but it's not as if it's impossible to read without one.

So I'll be posting this minus picture. I click Publish before I lose my nerve. Bwaha!


  1. I don't necessarily believe there is writers block either! I find it hard to understand that they (the writer) cant write something, anything! I have days when I'm feeling uninteresting and wonder if anyone even cares if I wrote anything. But I write books so its easy to fall into that and I don't have any worries because I can always edit it later....

  2. Writer's block--I don't know, not having written much. I do know that I sometimes feel uninterested in playing music, even though it has been a lifelong activity.

    My husband is under the impression that I could be an interesting writer (based on our conversations) and so he insists that I try. We invented a game: each of us will compose 5 "starter" sentences. Both of us will write 10 short stories using them all as first sentences. One story per week, beginning next week. This might be fun...Wish me luck!

  3. I, too, am in complete denial about perfectionism. Like I don't have it. Uh-huh. I'm happy to be posting small, insignificant things about...whatever. Your posts are always fun, with or without a picture. Nice math skills, too.

  4. I do get blocked, occasionally, although it is more often that I have TONS I want to write about, and I *have* to leave for my day job or whatever.

    As far as perfectionism, it's kinda odd. There are posts I have LABORED over - tweaked the language, sweated over the pictures, put in multiple links - and sometimes they are well-received, other times I don't even get a single comment. Other posts I have tossed off, drunk and flippant, and the comments have EXPLODED.

    I have come to conclude I am still stumbling in the dark when it comes to this blogging thing (and much else).

  5. Random question says you like fried chicken a lot,but do you like chicken cooked other ways also?

  6. Yo, folks! Thanks for commenting!

    Tara, yep, I always seem to be able to write _something_, whether it's good or bad. Though I have yet to write a book-length piece, so... I'm not sure what that means.

    Cupcake! Hmm. Somehow it seems to me that music would be more of a strain when one isn't in the mood. I've never created or played music, of course, so I'm just guessing.

    The starter sentence things sounds ike fun; I should try it.

    Yo, Josephine! Your posts generally seem pretty substantial, more so than mine. But thanks for the compliment. :)

    Goddess! Yep; I recently put up several pieces of very short fiction up on a writing forum for comment, and the one that I thought would be ignored got the strongest positive response. Very strange. And the same for blogging.

    Hey, Earthwoven! Well, fried is the proper way to eat chicken, but I like it in almost all ways. Maybe not in clear chicken soup, but almost anything else.

    Howdy, Natalie! Thanks!

  7. I don't get blocked as such when it comes to blogging, but sidetracked and waylaid, certainly. And I do suffer from the perfectionist trait whereby if I haven't time to sit down and do something I consider "proper" / up to snuff, as I don't at the moment, I would rather let it languish a few more days!

    As for your writing, even your so-called "blocked" output is pretty darn engaging if you ask me, so I don't think you have blockages of any consequence to worry about!

  8. Yo, Vanessa! You always seem so wonderfully prolific, and to maintain such quality over a long post. I'm often jealous. :)

    Engaging? Cool! I love that description, thank you. :)