Writers, may I ask how do you do your voodoo?
On days like this, when it's cold outside and one is suffering from a touch of the flu, it's hard to focus on the blank page. A high fever might suit my task better; writing feverishly, imagining intrigue and love like the misguided narrator in Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance.
A lot of writers claim to write something every day no matter how crappy they might feel. This makes me wonder: is a blog a straight arrow in the writer's quiver? Or does the interactive nature of instant publishing inhibit the sharing of true and deep and important insights? Is a blog anything more than a collection of vanity journal entries?
Very few working writers would dare (am I right?) put first drafts of potentially publishable stories, for instance, in such a public place. The real work of creating characters, scenes, chapters, and books is still done privately, either scribbled in notebooks or typed into a memory stick.
When I was a kid, I thought it would be ideal to dictate a story to a computer and have it magically appear in print, fully edited--a kind of voodoo, to be sure. Now, of course, I see the critical importance of seeing the physically shaped words and sentences for myself, first in the mind's eye, then on the formerly blank page.
Across the room, I see my trusty, non-electronic journal. It calls my name, it wipes my brow with a cool, clean, cotton cloth. I dream not of the Veiled Lady…
Anyway, when the fever breaks, I hope to realize my epiphany--I love Zenobia!
A lot of writers claim to write something every day no matter how crappy they might feel. This makes me wonder: is a blog a straight arrow in the writer's quiver? Or does the interactive nature of instant publishing inhibit the sharing of true and deep and important insights? Is a blog anything more than a collection of vanity journal entries?
Very few working writers would dare (am I right?) put first drafts of potentially publishable stories, for instance, in such a public place. The real work of creating characters, scenes, chapters, and books is still done privately, either scribbled in notebooks or typed into a memory stick.
When I was a kid, I thought it would be ideal to dictate a story to a computer and have it magically appear in print, fully edited--a kind of voodoo, to be sure. Now, of course, I see the critical importance of seeing the physically shaped words and sentences for myself, first in the mind's eye, then on the formerly blank page.
Across the room, I see my trusty, non-electronic journal. It calls my name, it wipes my brow with a cool, clean, cotton cloth. I dream not of the Veiled Lady…
Anyway, when the fever breaks, I hope to realize my epiphany--I love Zenobia!
Labels: Writing
8 Comments:
Richard,
I think blogging is an entire new medium. We are pushing its limits and learning what we can do within the blogging framework.
I draft my blogs. Granted, I do it fast but it starts in draft form.
Trish,
Yes, it's a new way to work, certainly. But what goes into a blog and what gets submitted/published elsewhere are still mostly separate things, I think. If something is published in your blog, it's considered "published"--and some editors won't want to consider it, right?
My blog is mostly "found art", so I don't agonize over it - I post what I find, and comment on it.
When I write something on paper, I suffer from all the normal problems, writers block, procrastination, self doubt, etc. My last screenplay took me two years to write (I was lucky to find a cowriter who shared the same vision, or it might not have been completed at all).
Richard - When you're sick you should rest, even if you're of a writer. Get some rest, buddy, and feel better.
Fran
I figure it's evident from my blog that I both free-write and post edited work. I think of it as an extension of my personality and share it freely with the world. Whether that's art or not -- who knows? It's definitely "me."
Feel better soon, Richard.
Ginger
Richard, I'm tagging you for the 10 Interesting Things About Me meme. If you aren't interested in participating, just tag someone else. I look forward to reading your answers if you choose to go along!
Best,
Ginger
Those writers who claim to write something every day are either liars or lucky bastards - can't make my mind up which.
I am a writer who THINKS about writing something every day.
Sigh
I am a writer who ends up reading blogs when I thought I was writing, but merely had my laptop switched on
Double Sigh to the square root of Sigh. In fact it might be a whole new genre SighFi
Hello Adrian--
I love your coined phrase, "Sigh-Fi." You're loaded with talent, so go write us a story, okay? By the way, do you have any of your band's music available online or elsewhere?
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