Time and the Joy of Writing


Fountain pens
Originally uploaded by smitha’s project 365

Anyone who has been blogging for some time will know that it is hard work. It is a discipline and requires a level of effort that non-bloggers will have a hard time understanding. But often there is also joy.

Over the last couple of weeks I have started writing more. It just happened. Suddenly I jumped from writing single posts per night to writing two or three or even more posts. Sometimes there was a desire to share a thought or something that I had read … at other times it was for the pure thrill of writing. (At least Typepad allows me to schedule the posts so that they don’t all arrive at the same time.)

But it hasn’t always been this way. In the early days my posts were light on and light weight. Some of them I still remember … but in my memory they are better than they are in hindsight. The thinking is not so clear, the articulation not precise and the energy too easily dissipated. Part of my own discipline has been to engage with the act of writing and the craft of storytelling … and where I mostly go wrong is that I forget the story and focus on the writing. Even now I can manufacture words that hang together impressively but provide only meagre sustenance.

I am sure you have experienced this as well. It is not like you have forgotten how to write well … it is that you have not remembered that the story is as important as the telling. The antidote, of course, is TIME.

Take a look at this great post (one among MANY) by Skellie. Rather than pumping out a rash of posts, consider stopping. Consider re-working and re-thinking. Spend not 30 minutes on your post, but THREE HOURS. Narrow your focus and sharpen your skills. And if you dig deeply you will find a new joy in writing and those hours will fly.

One thought on “Time and the Joy of Writing

  1. Couldn’t agree more. I feel that the essence of blogging is first and foremost personal therapy. It provides a space where you can vent and just share your ideas.

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