I don't always have writer's block. Sometimes I experience writer's reluctance. It's not that I can't think of anything to write, or even that I'm reluctant to write, rather, it's that I don't want to ruin the ideas I do have. I have to imagine that, for those who don't write regularly, this may be a strange concept.
Considering I sometimes struggle just to commit words to a page you'd think that I'd take the first idea that came to mind, so long as I could grab hold and run with it. Fresh ideas are also the most fulfilling to write, and that is where their magic lies. An unused idea can sometimes feel as though it has an almost indefinite shelf life so long as you keep it in your head. Of course, why would you keep a great idea in your head when you could splay it on a page? Well, for me at least, it's because I want to do the idea justice.
If you've ever seen an excellent idea ruined by poor execution then you can probably relate. When writing about my interests, about the things I really care about, I naturally want to make them the best that I can. In writing about something for the first time there is a lot of zeal that sometimes doesn't return in the same way when revisiting a subject. And especially in the case of writing for an audience, such as with a blog where your first draft is frequently also your final draft, there aren't a lot of people who want to read six different reworks while you iron out the kinks. Of course I could also go ahead and do just that, since my primary focus is on practice and not audience. However, I like to consider this blog and No Book Unread to be simultaneous studies on both writing and marketing. (Although to be honest I really hate the term marketing and many of the words related to it for reasons I can explain succinctly.)
There are other issues with using an idea for the first time as well. The first time you write about a particular idea is when you'll be the most passionate, and often the most creative, at least for many revisions. So it can be tempting to frequently re-shelf an idea until you feel you are more proficient. Thinking on that now, that probably deprives me of a lot of ideal practice material. On the other hand, it also brings me to my next point. Writing about your favorite subjects can be very draining, especially because you want to properly convey your love of the subject. This typically results in two things; one, that you rarely feel satisfied with what you've written, and two, that you get bored with the subject and don't touch it for a while. That is, you run the risk of ruining your interests, even if only temporarily.
I should make some more attempts at working with my favorite subjects regardless, as the old adage 'How you practice is how you perform.' has proven true more than once. Writing isn't the only case in which I've kept my favorites 'in reserve', and in previous cases the things I didn't care for as much ended up being becoming what I was better with in the long run. Which just goes to show that if I really want to do my favorite subjects justice I need to practice them, which may mean botching them terribly. So, I guess that will be my first new bit of advice to myself, as well as the first new entry on my writing guidelines list.
Note to self: Ruin your interests.
Considering I sometimes struggle just to commit words to a page you'd think that I'd take the first idea that came to mind, so long as I could grab hold and run with it. Fresh ideas are also the most fulfilling to write, and that is where their magic lies. An unused idea can sometimes feel as though it has an almost indefinite shelf life so long as you keep it in your head. Of course, why would you keep a great idea in your head when you could splay it on a page? Well, for me at least, it's because I want to do the idea justice.
If you've ever seen an excellent idea ruined by poor execution then you can probably relate. When writing about my interests, about the things I really care about, I naturally want to make them the best that I can. In writing about something for the first time there is a lot of zeal that sometimes doesn't return in the same way when revisiting a subject. And especially in the case of writing for an audience, such as with a blog where your first draft is frequently also your final draft, there aren't a lot of people who want to read six different reworks while you iron out the kinks. Of course I could also go ahead and do just that, since my primary focus is on practice and not audience. However, I like to consider this blog and No Book Unread to be simultaneous studies on both writing and marketing. (Although to be honest I really hate the term marketing and many of the words related to it for reasons I can explain succinctly.)
There are other issues with using an idea for the first time as well. The first time you write about a particular idea is when you'll be the most passionate, and often the most creative, at least for many revisions. So it can be tempting to frequently re-shelf an idea until you feel you are more proficient. Thinking on that now, that probably deprives me of a lot of ideal practice material. On the other hand, it also brings me to my next point. Writing about your favorite subjects can be very draining, especially because you want to properly convey your love of the subject. This typically results in two things; one, that you rarely feel satisfied with what you've written, and two, that you get bored with the subject and don't touch it for a while. That is, you run the risk of ruining your interests, even if only temporarily.
I should make some more attempts at working with my favorite subjects regardless, as the old adage 'How you practice is how you perform.' has proven true more than once. Writing isn't the only case in which I've kept my favorites 'in reserve', and in previous cases the things I didn't care for as much ended up being becoming what I was better with in the long run. Which just goes to show that if I really want to do my favorite subjects justice I need to practice them, which may mean botching them terribly. So, I guess that will be my first new bit of advice to myself, as well as the first new entry on my writing guidelines list.
Note to self: Ruin your interests.
A blog is a great chance to exercise both the writing and the marketing. Indeed, marketing might sound odd, but it's the truth. I've had my blog The Reading Armchair for about 7 months and during this time I've learnt lots of things. Plus I'm more confident about expressing myself in English (since my mother language is Greek).
ReplyDeletePractice can only make you better :)
Your English is excellent considering it isn't your primary language!
DeleteI still experiment with 'marketing tactics' mostly for No Book Unread but the culture of marketing rubs me the wrong way at times. Improving my writing is my primary focus for now, but I have to say that I have learned quite a bit through blogging. I just need to keep writing writing writing! >.<
I've had this exact problem many times while I'm working on a new post. That feeling you get when you don't exactly know how to put what you're analyzing or thinking about in words can be difficult. Would I be wrong in assuming many writers have this issue? I also understand the "draining" feeling you're describing when writing about something you enjoy. For me, that is definitely architecture.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting read for sure!
- Southpaw
I would assume that a lot of writers who are just starting out have the same issue, but maybe that's just wishful thinking. On the plus side, struggling to write a good post supposedly means you are improving. When you are challenged by something it means you are still learning, you haven't figured out the shortcuts that come with proficiency. So the good news is that you're making progress, however annoying struggling to write is in the mean time.
Delete