Wow! Does that ever hit home! Especially on a day like today, on days when despite my ability to show up to my desk, the writing did not. Despite my attempts to share my presence, the words would not share theirs. My hour of writing, that span between 6:30 and 7:30, when my attention is comitted to nothing but the page is torture when it refuses to be anything but blank. One hour going on an eternity, staring at the ceiling, staring at the walls, my un-typing fingers, my un-touched keys, an endless amount of time to wonder why you bother to do it all. You could have slept 6 instead of 5 hours. You could have gone to the gym. Watched the sunrise if you were so inclined. Prayed if you still believed. You could have been anywhere. You could have done anything. Instead you chose to here, between the yellow glow of an edison bulb and the blue light of a screen, sitting, waiting, (not) writing. And still, there's no place you'd rather be.
But they were fed and watered. It wasn’t all soppy as ‘Shadowlands’ portrayed. The unfettered mind is quite free to gallivant when not encumbered by cleaning and cooking. As feminists have been saying for quite some time...!!!
This was a delightful grouping of authors - what a range of strategies! I suppose there's no "one" way to get it done, but writing is truly interesting to read about (the toothbrushing! I can't imagine!).
Lewis's greatest book is his OHELL. I remember studying it, writing my copious notes on it, and thinking how in the world did he do it. Alan Jacobs is right in his assessment.
Which of the Koontz novels would you recommend to a beginner?
I didn’t know that about Faulkner’s job shoveling coal. Thanks for writing!
Great piece!
“I don’t know who I’d be if I wasn’t writing.”
Wow! Does that ever hit home! Especially on a day like today, on days when despite my ability to show up to my desk, the writing did not. Despite my attempts to share my presence, the words would not share theirs. My hour of writing, that span between 6:30 and 7:30, when my attention is comitted to nothing but the page is torture when it refuses to be anything but blank. One hour going on an eternity, staring at the ceiling, staring at the walls, my un-typing fingers, my un-touched keys, an endless amount of time to wonder why you bother to do it all. You could have slept 6 instead of 5 hours. You could have gone to the gym. Watched the sunrise if you were so inclined. Prayed if you still believed. You could have been anywhere. You could have done anything. Instead you chose to here, between the yellow glow of an edison bulb and the blue light of a screen, sitting, waiting, (not) writing. And still, there's no place you'd rather be.
My God - the last writer is SO pretentious. Get him.
But they were fed and watered. It wasn’t all soppy as ‘Shadowlands’ portrayed. The unfettered mind is quite free to gallivant when not encumbered by cleaning and cooking. As feminists have been saying for quite some time...!!!
This was a delightful grouping of authors - what a range of strategies! I suppose there's no "one" way to get it done, but writing is truly interesting to read about (the toothbrushing! I can't imagine!).
This was very interesting and a good reminder the next time I procrastinate over my writing.
Lewis's greatest book is his OHELL. I remember studying it, writing my copious notes on it, and thinking how in the world did he do it. Alan Jacobs is right in his assessment.
Thanks for this post, Joel.