Each time I press the publish button, worries about writing the next blog post kicks in.
Writing gives me mixed emotions. On rare, very rare, occasions, words seem to flow effortlessly and I am convinced that I was born to write. But a majority of the time, writing gives me muscular back aches and emotional discomfort as I struggle to quiet my own critical voice.
How I feel on a bad writing day
When it’s going well, it’s exhilarating. When the words don’t come, the process is daunting and downright depressing.
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
– Ernest Hemingway
Producing anything good takes time, effort, and perseverance, but I overlook that on a daily basis. I’m constantly needing to remind myself that a small step taken today is closer toward attaining my goal. It doesn’t all happen in one sitting or in one day; the process is a journey that takes time and many surprise detours.
One thought at a time. One idea at a time. One word. One string of words. One sentence. Build from there.
I tell my kids that learning takes time and that a little progress made today is still progress. Easy to say but hard to do myself.
I hope you all have a great writing day!
Well said. That is why writing is both art and craft!
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Thank you!! Writing is both art and craft. Just wish it were easier. 🙂
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So true about just “bleeding” it all out! I heard before that you should “write drunk and edit sober” or something along those lines. Even as someone who doesn’t drink, I can appreciate the message and how it stresses to get it all out there, first, and then go back and polish it. Easier said than done though, just like you said. We are all so unnecessarily self-critical!
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The first draft is really the worst…you don’t know how it’s going to turn out and the time you spend just to write something coherent, or not, takes much time and mental anguish. We’ve got to be kinder to our writing selves and silence the inner critic!!
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