I am in an interesting state of wanting to write, but not really having any idea what to write about. It is easy to write when the light bulb turns on in my head, but other times I just start writing as if I am talking. Talking about anything to get the process of writing started. I know I have read about this style of writing… perhaps in a college writing course. When you sit down, and cannot write, start with the first thought that enters your head. For example: I really cannot think of anything to write today. The weather is blue, but not a bad blue. Not a sad blue, but a good clear blue sky blue.

That would make a story about a writer that starts out with the writer writing. I used the word write many times in that last sentence.

Even though I write, I am not sure if I earn the title of writer. Yet, it is one of those magic titles that you can earn simply by putting words on paper… or screen. So yes, I do write. I was told many times that to be a writer you have to write for at least an hour everyday. One of my sister’s was likely told the same, because she choose not to be a writer because she didn’t want to do that.

Writing is not always easy, but it is only as hard as you make it. The point of the first draft is a little like the process of putting thoughts on paper. You do not edit until it is done. You do not have to be good in the first draft. I have not conquered that ability. I edit as I write, and end up concluding it isn’t good enough to continue.

I can write a short blog post, because I approach it differently. There is less of a judge involved in my mind. I am not sure why that is. Here I have written freely without re-reading every paragraph after I write it. That is why this is more like talking. Sure I got sidetracked and started writing about boring stuff. (Which I deleted.) But overall the critic isn’t involved.

You may have noticed my easy ability to get side-tracked. I continue writing when I am side-tracked and choose between deleting or starting the next paragraph with ‘anyway.’ Sometimes I can tie the side-track into the topic that I have decided on, and sometimes it must go. If you have the time, interesting ideas can arise from letting yourself get sidetracked.

In college that is how I came up with ideas for papers. I would write whatever I could think about the topic, and naturally, through following sidetracks, the topic would arise. I would delete or reorder my sidetracks until they fit together. To me this always worked better then planning out topics and arguments ahead of time. Because when you sit down to write your topics and arguments you haven’t fully explored the topic in your mind yet. Writing freely about the topic lets you think things through.

For example, I was talking about writing without judgement, and I got sidetracked by sidetracks. I let the process continue and it kind of fits in with the rest of the post. Now I am going to re-read my writing to remember where I was headed before getting sidetracked, and continue.

Why can’t I bring this kind of free flow to writing fiction. It seems with writing fiction comes the automatic pressure to be good. When you are talking, you are expressing yourself directly. When you are storytelling, you are entertaining. If I could storytell as naturally as talking… letting go of the need to be good, I would enjoy writing fiction a lot more.

So while I am a writer, I have trouble writing fiction. I want to write fiction most of all, but it might be the most difficult style. There is so much creation involved with fiction while every other style is more based in experience, and knowledge… excluding poetry. Poetry is another style of writing that is unbound by normal conventions.

The trouble is that not everyone sees writing is as difficult as you decide for it to be. They subconsciously decide either writing is difficult or easy. Their level of enjoyment writing varies accordingly. Those who have subconsciously decided it is easy, enjoy it a lot more, while everyone else suffers. The same is true with any art form.

I think looking at this video by Infinite Waters will help you understand Success.

To me this is another way of looking at the topic of writing. You decide if you are a success, but there is more to it then that. Those who decide themselves successful, feel good while writing. This leads them to write more. So they become better. They don’t sit in front of a computer screen feeling inadequate to write anything.

As someone who naturally did visual artwork from a young age. I used to be perplexed when people said they didn’t enjoy doing art. As I got older I went through stages of understanding how this could be. I think most people don’t create artwork because they are to caught up with the concept that it needs to be perfect. There are art critics out there who say this is good, and this is bad. But, if you remember the Infinite Waters video, the true decider is you.

As people in this world, we see the end result of people who are masters. We see the well polished book, or the masterpiece in a museum. So we look at our first drawings or writings, and say this is horrible. Hence many people end the journey without even starting. Yet, who is grading this blog post? I am. I feel it is a Success, and, because I let the words flow like talking, I enjoyed writing it.

How many views this post gets does not determine if this was a Success. There other factors then the quality of writing at play here. Like the correct connections, tags, and onward. I think I learned something writing it. If you learned something too, we both win.

Please have a wonderful day… or night (it is late where I am),

Lisa