I resolved to write a blog entry every day. The purpose (I wrote porpoise at first) was to develop discipline. The thing is, writing is hard. I don't mean "Oh I can't do this." One can do it easily enough. But it is hard to make oneself do it. (At least, it is that way for me. Others might feel differently). It's easy to think of thought after thought; it's easy to learn, it's easy to silently observe things, or to reflect upon things in one's head. But transcribing thoughts from one's head onto paper or a computer screen is hard. At least it is for me.
I wonder if someone who is talkative in real life has an easier job putting words down in writing. Me, sometimes, once I begin to attempt to translate what is in my head into either spoken or written words, my capacity for thought goes out the window, I lose those thoughts that I'd had, and my brain takes on the IQ of a slug. Perhaps my difficulty writing is related to my difficulty in speaking. But if I make myself do it, I can eventually end up putting words down. Like right now.
It's not just that. I think there is also the knowledge that what I am writing or saying is just not that good. And at first it isn't. The first draft is always lousy. With work, with rewriting and editing, it may become better. But it is painful to see those initial words come out of oneself, and know they are not very good.
Pardon the rambling nature of this post. I am not editing or re-writing these posts, at the moment, the goal is simply to write things, even if imperfectly. That is the best way to get over the perfectionism that has been preventing me from writing. Editing can come later.
I wonder if someone who is talkative in real life has an easier job putting words down in writing. Me, sometimes, once I begin to attempt to translate what is in my head into either spoken or written words, my capacity for thought goes out the window, I lose those thoughts that I'd had, and my brain takes on the IQ of a slug. Perhaps my difficulty writing is related to my difficulty in speaking. But if I make myself do it, I can eventually end up putting words down. Like right now.
It's not just that. I think there is also the knowledge that what I am writing or saying is just not that good. And at first it isn't. The first draft is always lousy. With work, with rewriting and editing, it may become better. But it is painful to see those initial words come out of oneself, and know they are not very good.
Pardon the rambling nature of this post. I am not editing or re-writing these posts, at the moment, the goal is simply to write things, even if imperfectly. That is the best way to get over the perfectionism that has been preventing me from writing. Editing can come later.
