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Category Archives: writing

At Least I Was Writing Something

Yesterday was a Blogger’s Sick Day. I did not post, because I felt like crap. I almost did not post this morning, because I thought, “I don’t have anything to say. What is the point in yet another post where I offer a lame excuse about why I didn’t post yesterday.” Then I thought of something to say.

Long time readers know I write actual snail mail letters. At least, I don’t think I have mentioned that lately, but I do. This week, I have been working on a letter to my sister Diane, who also writes letters (in much prettier handwriting than mine, but never mind that now). I sat at the break table at work, before my shift started, writing. A co-worker walked by.

“You writing a novel?”

“Just a letter to my sister.”

“Nobody does that an more!”

“We do.”

The next day, it was my boss asking. He pointed out the existence of phone calls and Face Time.

I said, “Nobody wants to see this face for any length of time.”

He said I would be surprised at the faces that do it. It’s true. No face is so ugly that somebody, somewhere, isn’t happy to see it. I hope.

Next a co-worker asked me if I was writing a “journal of this place.” Certainly not! I guess this counts as a workplace anecdote, but this is not and has never been a work blog. That could get me in trouble with management.

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No, You Shut Up!

Every week I say to myself, “This is the week! This is the week I start to get my act together! I will write more. I will work a little every day to get my house cleaned and organized. I will run. I will do those exercises for my back…” The list goes on. Oh, I do not expect to magically be the neat, organized, healthy, non-back-hurting, writing five pages a day paragon of my dreams (why five pages? why not ten? Oh yes, I am setting realistic goals). I expect myself to do a little every day. Ten minutes, just ten minutes. You can do a lot of cleaning in ten minutes. IT! COULD! WORK! (That is from Young Frankenstein, by the way.)

And then I don’t do much. Ten minutes of cleaning is apparently too much to ask. I hold tight to what little I manage to do: a few loads of laundry, at least three days of running (including Saturday and Sunday), a few blog posts (why is it so hard to be a daily blogger? I used to post every day! What the hell, me?). I put together a murder mystery, with lots of help from my friends. Doesn’t that count for something? I think it does.

One other thing: I was keeping this on the down low, because I was afraid it would not work out, and in fact it hasn’t. But week before last I wrote several pages of notes on a Victoria Holt-type romance novel, influenced also by Jane Eyre, with a little Georgette Heyer thrown in. It was a lot of fun writing the notes. I had a little trouble with character names. Unfortunately, I was unable to begin actually writing said novel. Still, I wrote a LOT of notes. Ideas just poured out of me! Surely that counts for something (and I will call you Shirley if I want to).

All this by way of trying not to beat myself up for not posting either Saturday or Sunday. Here I sit Monday morning, ten finger typing on the laptop (dining-room-tabletop, really) (I must buy myself a new laptop), and viewing the upcoming week with trepidation. Will this be the week I finally do it? That I finally do something?

At least I have written a blog post of over 400 words. I think some bloggers like to read that others have trouble writing. I personally do not find tough love helpful. You know, when they say, “There is no such thing as Writer’s Block! Just shut up and write!” But perhaps this week I will try to do just that. Only without the shut up part, because, you know, I like to make a blog post.

I Would Kill for a Blog Post

As I sit here looking at Cops Reloaded, I am more than ever committed to a life of law and order. When they arrest you, they handcuff your hands behind your back. I couldn’t reach my handkerchief! With my sinuses, I would be dripping snot in no time. Yuck!

Some of you may have read that first sentence with some degree of scepticism. With all the people I have killed or had killed theatrically (I have only rarely done the dirty deed myself), one may be forgiven for questioning my commitment to law and order.

In fact, at work I have something of a reputation as a murderess. Ask one innocent question a out strychnine in the lunch room, and they think you want to poison everybody! Sheesh!

All this nonsense is by way of trying to get myself writing something, anything again. Regular readers may have noticed that I missed posting both Saturday and Sunday. Before that, I had indulged in a spate of late, foolish posts. What the hell, me?

In my defense… never mind my defense. Everybody has problems. Some people manage to write in spite of them. I must strive to do the same. That is what today’s foolish post is: me striving to Write Anyways. In doing so, I have discovered that I can write, even when that voice in my head says I can’t. I wonder if I can write something other than the preceding nonsense. Maybe another murder mystery. Hmm…

Who, Me? Write?

I actually started writing a real post yesterday while I was at work. You see, I had a stern talk with myself about Writing More. To that end, I did NOT bring a puzzle book to work but only a notebook (the paper, spiral-bound kind) and pen (um, and my lunch, safety glasses, phone, purse, etc.). And my meager brain. It was not enough to get the job done.

Oh, I wrote a page of my usual breezy stuff, concerning Kim’s and my visit to The Saalty Dog Saloon. I probably could have finished it. However, right now, I am ten-finger typing on my laptop. The pictures from the saloon are on my Tablet, which is upstairs. Me, go upstairs again? Wait for the laptop to turn on, have trouble logging in (it has this thing when you first power it up), and one-letter-peck with the stylus (if I have not lost the pen again)? I suppose I could, but right now I am enjoying to ten-finger type. I really must get a new laptop so I can do this more often.

In the meantime, since this blog is also a kind of a record of my Writing Endeavors (which may or may not deserve the capitalization), I will record that I am once again having the damnedest time. I have said it before and I will say it again: Sometimes you cannot just put yourself in front of a blank page and say, “Write! Write, damn you!” Oh well, perhaps some of you can. I cannot.

What can I do? That seems a better approach than lamenting what I cannot. To begin with, it seems I am very adept at writing about Not Writing. I don’t imagine I can get a novel out of that. Or can I? I close the blog and begin to brainstorm this promising start.

It’s Not Right to Not Write

Yes, this is another late post. I just did not want to make the attempt last night. I am going through a bad writing period. Not to make too many complaints, but I have a few personal problems as well. There may be no solution to the personal problems; after all, no matter what I do, I will always be the same person.

However, the solution to writing problems, according to almost anyone you ask, is Write Just Write.

I have always maintained that it is not that simple. I still maintain that, but now I want to shout at myself: Of course it’s not that simple! Nothing is simple! It never will be! Just do it!

So here I am, babbling on. I made this concession to my laziness: I am lounged on the couch, pecking at the Tablet with the stylus instead of sitting upright at the laptop,industriouslly industriously (how do like this: I made the typo of putting two “l”s in “industrustiously” and now my autocorrect thinks that is how you spell it!).

And I have not much to say. However, I am approaching 200 words, and I need to get back to dealing with my day. I will attempt to Write Just Write a better blog post later,

Who, Me, Write?

I thought to myself, it has been a while since I have made a post about not being able to make a post. Ooh, I really CAN’T make a post today: I just re-wrote that last sentence four times! Yikes! My third sentence was going to refute the idea that I cannot make a post, BUT…

The fact is, I am completely disgusted with my inability to write lately. No, that is healthier than what I feel. Rather, I am disgusted with myself for not writing.

And there we have it. How can I write when I am clearly too disgusting of a person to do any such thing? Who wants to read anything written by a disgusting person? And so my thinking goes. Downward spirals are so easy to start, and even easier to maintain.

Intellectually, I know Not Writing does not make me a contemptible person. Many people do not write. The world is no doubt saved a lot of very dull writing thereby. Oh dear, that is not the direction I meant to take. I do not want to feel better about not writing. I WANT TO WRITE!

And here I am writing, and approaching 200 words. I can work on quality as I go. For now, I will call this a Tired Tuesday Post, hit Publish, and drive on. I will attempt to continue to write. Or continue to attempt to write. A future blog post may attempt to delineate the difference.

Fabulous Photos for a Late Post

On the brighter side, I have not made a late post in a while. On the dimmer side, why am I making a late post at all? On the even dimmer side, if I wasn’t too lazy to go back and check, I would probably find it has not been that long after all.

I begin a new paragraph, before I descend deeper into the gloom.

Remember the Drama Queens?

I wanted to flash back to Fabulous and Fatal ,the murder mystery we presented to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society last October. I was supposed to write a virtual murder mystery for them but have so far been unable to do so.

A dramatic moment.

I add another picture, to distract myself from continuing to lament my continuing writing problems.

Then again, why not lament? I strive to remain cheerful, but sometimes we all need room to vent. So I will just say it: I am having trouble writing. It is not for lack of trying: I put pen on paper (or stylus on Tablet). Sometimes words are forthcoming, sometimes not so much. And some words on some subjects are definitely NOT forthcoming.

There, I feel better now that I have said that. And I see I am over 200 words. As regular readers know, I call that respectable. I shall close with one more fabulous photo.

We make a handsome couple, or do I flatter myself?

A Day Without Writing Is Not a Good Day

I am up to my old tricks again, missing posts.  What is it with me, do I want to write or not?  The answer is yes, of course I do, I love to write.  Why, then, do I not do it more often every day?  I do write at least something almost every day. I work on a letter (yes, I handwrite and snail mail letters and postcards; you should too, it’s fun), I make a note in the TV Journal, I work a little on the current novel or murder mystery,  I MAKE MY BLOG POST.  As I said, almost every day.

The reason I started this blog (9 years ago, is that possible?), it was to get myself to definitely write every day.  I thought it might segue into other writing, and I guess it has, but not enough.  Next question: Is there ever enough?  Discuss among yourselves.  Please comment with any conclusions (is that too needy, asking for comments?  Oh, well).

In the next four weeks I will have more time to write, because I have been furloughed from work again.  Previous furloughs have been less successful for me, but that is obviously my fault.  Equally obviously, it is up to me to do better this time.  Will I do better?  I make bold to say, YES, I WILL!!!

I put the three exclamation points to encourage myself.  I will make a plan, set a schedule, and write a few blog posts sharing my successes, if any (you see, a little pessimism must sneak in) .

So this is my Wuss-out Wednesday Post, published early Thursday morning: a pep talk to myself.  Thank you for bearing with me.

 

Just Write One Blog Post

OK, this is not quite the same thing as type-it-in-back-space-it-out.  I just added a photo I took on a recent Mohawk Valley Adventure, typed in one sentence, and realized I could not go through with composing the entire post. At least I put a headline on it and saved what little I had as a draft, but what the hell, me?

This morning I wrote a little in the TV Journal, as I have been trying to do lately.  A quick check showed me I have been steady since Dec. 26.  I feel I must give myself a little credit for that at least.

Regarding my apparent inability to write before my shift starts and while on breaks at work, I said to myself, “Just write one sentence.”  I repeated it in my head as I got ready and drove to work.

And I wrote one sentence!  And then another one!  They were not good sentences, unfortunately.  Mostly I wrote about the fact that I was writing, expressing some surprise that I was doing so.  Still, I wrote a couple of paragraphs.

I really do not know why I feel as if I am starting from several steps behind scratch.  It is not as if I have gone any considerable length of time without writing at all, and I have not suffered any devastating mental or physical ailments.

In the meantime,  I see I have surpassed 200 words with this nonsense.  I shall close with the picture I opened the unfinished blog post with.  Call it a Preview of Coming Attractions, if you like.

Did the troll put a hex on me, do you suppose?

 

Maybe I Am The Peanut Gallery

Once again my plan of writing my blog post in advance did not work out.  Some fellow writers will understand and sympathathize with my apparent inability to write, others, including a good number of non-writers, will scoff and tell me to get up off my lazy duff and WRITE, damn you!  Sometimes I find my own self in the latter category.

I have a few Mohawk Valley Adventures to write posts about. Unfortunately,  before writing any this evening, Steven and I got out and about and ended up at Applebee’s for Winesday.  After splitting a bottle of Chardonnay,  I feel disinclined for further activities. What a bum am I!

With a new year and new decade (and, please, do not any of you be didactic and tell me the new decade technically begins in 2021), I have been trying to write more.  Full Disclosure:  I have not met with much success in this endeavour. Any suggestions from my lovely readers?  Further Disclosure: my first impulse was to type “from the peanut gallery,”  but I was afraid people would take it amiss.

So I guess that is two questions I have:  Are there any suggestions to increase my writing output?  And: Does anybody reading this mind being referred to as the peanut gallery?  Please submit any answers as comments below.  I warn you, if nobody expresses an opinion, I will feel free to refer to my readers as The Peanut Gallery forevermore.