Word count

[dampscribbler]

Not exactly sure, yet, but I'm way behind for the month, and only at about 1,000 for today.

"People should be writers if and only if they feel that they have to write, no matter what the consequences."

Do I?

If I have to ask, isn't the answer no?

Comments

[wardo68.livejournal.com]

I always go back to the line in Throw Momma From The Train: "A writer writes -- always." That's not to say you need to spend your waking hours doing nothing but writing, but if you feel a compulsion to write, then yeah, you're a writer.

Now, I don't know what you're writing about, or what the consequences might be, but I say go ahead and write. The consequences only come when someone else reads it, and you can cross those chickens once they're hatched.

[mixed-metaphor.livejournal.com]

That makes me mad. I've not got the time nor enough caffeine in my blood to fully articulate why it makes me mad, but it does.
Grrrrrr.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ward, I appreciate the support.

Here's what's half-assed about my writing, what causes me doubt again and again. I do, indeed, feel a compulsion to write. I am constantly and compulsively creating sentences, mulling ideas, inventing characters -- but -- 99.99% of it happens in my head. The actual physical act of writing, whether with pen on paper or keystrokes on a computer, well, it's rare.

So. Am I writing, or not? The only answer I have is "sorta."

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I hope you get a cuppa coffee and some minutes to come back to it later, I'd like to hear more about your reaction. I guess I've seen that kind of sentiment articulated so many different places in different ways that it didn't strike me as harsh at all.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

That assumes you buy into this woman's statement, which I don't think I agree with.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

I don't actually buy into it as written, but what I keep hearing from published writers I know is that they write. A lot. Often compulsively. They steal time from other things to write. They sneak away to write. They write and write and write and they have for as long as they can remember. I'm not like that. At least, not on paper. My head is thinking written-type things all the time, but I'm not writing. So, I'm in this weird in-between space that I don't understand.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

maybe thinking about it is good enough for you. :)

I'm getting obsessive about my photography. If I don't shoot reasonably often I start feeling like something is wrong, and I get antsy.

I guess if you're going to obsessed with something, it's good to enjoy it.

word count

[(Anonymous)]

I, like you, think about writing and what I'd like to write about all the time. It takes an extra effort to make the writing happen. Sometimes I manage the extra effort, sometimes I don't. I think I have some of the writers instincts, but some self-defeating underlying psychology--something that makes me unconsciously resist persuing creative success too aggressively. If I were smart, I'd find a good therapist, or maybe a hypnotist!

Damian K.

Re: word count

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Hey, Damian, good to hear from you! Shoot me an email at the damps.... at livejournal dot com address, we need to plan a coffee and catch-up time.

Hypnotist...I hadn't considered that, it might be worth it. Sometimes I wish writing were like other jobs -- show up at 8am, shoot the shit with the co-workers for 20 minutes, sit down and work for a couple of hours, coffee break with someone, back to work, lunch with someone, back to work, then have a meeting with someone about the places you each are stuck, get back to work, go home, repeat 5x/week (at least) for as long as it takes. The constancy of (1) a place to be each day and (2) other people to work with are something I really crave these days. Structure is much more easily imposed from the outside than the inside. That's why people "go" to work, that's why students have "study buddies" and why people look for "workout buddies" (or hire trainers, take classes, whatever.) What's an artist to do?

I'm sorry to hear it's not working better for you. I occasionally think about the few stories of yours I've seen, and they're really good.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

I think that's cool that you're getting obsessive about photography. One of my writing friends described the same thing to me about her writing -- she starts to feel sick if she goes more than a day or two without writing. I think I could get to that point, and I think I fear it. Need to face my fear.