My Life as a Writer

I never really considered myself a writer.  I struggle with it even now, staring at the same sentence for five minutes, erasing what I just wrote and staring into space trying to gather my thoughts.  I think it is because of the way I think.  I'm not a sequential thinker.  If you know me well enough for me to just randomly tell you what I'm thinking you might think I'm ADD.  My thoughts and ideas jump all over the place.  If I need to follow a thought or idea through I really need to make myself a list and keep myself on task for it to get done.  And that is probably why I'm not a fluent writer.  I don't write down a plan.  I try to muddle though my thoughts in the post and many times end up thinking my writing sounds just like chit chat.  I know that may be okay, but the chit chat has to stay on topic!

My life as a writer has had a complete metamorphosis in the last several years.  Basically, the only writing I do on paper is a to-do list for the day.  It keeps me focused, sitting on my desk next to my elbow.  I have tried to replace it with online to-do lists.  They just don't cut it for me.  Other than that, my writing is done on this blog, on twitter, on my ipad, in email and on facebook. 

It has occurred to me that my children probably wouldn't even recognize my handwriting if they had to identify it.  That really bothers me, because I treasure the letters I have from my grandmother and father who have since passed away.  I would recognize their script anywhere and it brings comfort to me to get out those old letters from time to time.  I really need to sit down and take the time to put pen to paper. 

What is your Life as a Writer like?

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3 comments:

My life as a writer is still evolving.

As a child, I just wrote to complete an assignment. I would figure out how the teacher wanted it, and would submit the assignment in that fashion so that I'd get my 'A'. Not very creative.

Most of my personal writings are my 'to do lists' and reminders. I've kept written journals on and off in years past. I'm in a partially off stage at the moment. Then again, I'm kind of in the 'on' stage... posting daily a classroom activity (disclaimer - a school day 'daily'). It's become a journal online and I find myself wanting to write more. Maybe, it's just me wanting to express myself more? I don't know. Like I said, it's evolving.

I love the written word, whether it's the type-written variety or the handwritten one. I love trying to be as clear and concise as possible with every sentence I construct. The backspace key is my best friend, even though I am neurotically sequential :)

I'm a pro at writing "dangling modifiers" and I'm always on the lookout for them. I was also the Queen of "Sentence Splicing (or fragmenting)" as a young writer.

I have kept diaries and prayer journals and have written multitudes of note cards, lengthy letters and greeting cards over the years.

Everyone always complimented me on my handwriting as a young person. They thought it was cool that I combined manuscript and cursive and made it my own. I even tried to write with a backward slant like a left-handed writer would do. It was more of an artistic endeavor for me and it was something I enjoyed.

Going through the National Boards process really helped me pare down my verbosity. There were strict parameters that had to be met and I cut and cut and cut and cut to get it just right.

"Clear, concise and convincing" have become my new mantra.

Elaine said...

I have tried journaling off and on for years. I never stick with it.

I am keeping a 10+ year journal now which only has a few lines per day. It is organized by date, so you can easily read what you were doing a year ago or two years ago, etc. on that date.

I am about to complete my fourth year and I just wish I had started one decades ago.