Writing is Work
Yes, I know, I can hear everyone staring at their screen going, "Well, d'uh." Shut up, I know, I know. Let me explain (or at least pull my foot out of my mouth).
I've never not thought that writing wasn't work. Just look at that sentence there; it's work just figuring out if what I said was said correctly. It was. I think.
But writing is work, and there's many who I don't think realize exactly how much work it reallly is or involves. Just the act of sitting yourself down in whatever manner most comfortable and typing/writing/etching into stone the words out is itself a more time consuming act than microwaving a burrito, an act most seem to consider writing equivilant to. But the burrito may be tasty, but it is not as satisfactory as say, making the burrito yourself with fresh ingredients. Writing is making a hand-made burrito.
There's also the unsung aspect of writing, the research. The "before the writing" writing, the stuff that only matters when you wonder how much was done. Bad research lets you know that the writer did it; they put in the hard work of finding out the small minute that may not build anything bigger but does still increase the sense of depth, and by god they're going to let you know how hard that work was. But still research was done. Research can take longer than the actual writing part itself, because it takes longer to pull together all the pieces and parts and making sure it all fits together without ruining the overall effect you may be going for. And that can kill the reader/work connection. Bad.
Back to the original tangent, sitting your ass down and just doing what you keep saying you're going to do. It's hard, harder than it should be. And very easily to be distracted from, because it is work, and by god do people like to avoid that when they can. Which leads to back up, which leads to lateness, which leads to "Oh I tried that once..."
It's also more work if you keep adding to what you're trying to do. In that aspect, I've been building up what all I've been doing lately. A small list:
And probably some other stuff I don't remember or just don't feel like listing. Also cleaning my room, but that's not really writing related.
What was I talking about? Oh, right. Work. Writing is it. Which is what I have to keep reminding myself when I sit at the table staring blankly at the screen, crying tears of frustration as I beg words to come from it on their own. Is that so much to ask?
***
Also this-
-is my new background. It is awesome. Done by the amazing Loish over on Deviant. Her gallery as well is full of awesome.
I've never not thought that writing wasn't work. Just look at that sentence there; it's work just figuring out if what I said was said correctly. It was. I think.
But writing is work, and there's many who I don't think realize exactly how much work it reallly is or involves. Just the act of sitting yourself down in whatever manner most comfortable and typing/writing/etching into stone the words out is itself a more time consuming act than microwaving a burrito, an act most seem to consider writing equivilant to. But the burrito may be tasty, but it is not as satisfactory as say, making the burrito yourself with fresh ingredients. Writing is making a hand-made burrito.
There's also the unsung aspect of writing, the research. The "before the writing" writing, the stuff that only matters when you wonder how much was done. Bad research lets you know that the writer did it; they put in the hard work of finding out the small minute that may not build anything bigger but does still increase the sense of depth, and by god they're going to let you know how hard that work was. But still research was done. Research can take longer than the actual writing part itself, because it takes longer to pull together all the pieces and parts and making sure it all fits together without ruining the overall effect you may be going for. And that can kill the reader/work connection. Bad.
Back to the original tangent, sitting your ass down and just doing what you keep saying you're going to do. It's hard, harder than it should be. And very easily to be distracted from, because it is work, and by god do people like to avoid that when they can. Which leads to back up, which leads to lateness, which leads to "Oh I tried that once..."
It's also more work if you keep adding to what you're trying to do. In that aspect, I've been building up what all I've been doing lately. A small list:
- Plotting and pulling together the world building pieces I want/need for Butterfly Massacre
- A review of Tricked by Alex Robinson
- A review of Megamind
- A review of Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis
- Slow note gathering for any number of stories I'm still working on
- A couple of short stories I'm hoping to send out and publish
- Figure out the little things of Venus so I can get to actually writing it for the anthology
And probably some other stuff I don't remember or just don't feel like listing. Also cleaning my room, but that's not really writing related.
What was I talking about? Oh, right. Work. Writing is it. Which is what I have to keep reminding myself when I sit at the table staring blankly at the screen, crying tears of frustration as I beg words to come from it on their own. Is that so much to ask?
***
Also this-
-is my new background. It is awesome. Done by the amazing Loish over on Deviant. Her gallery as well is full of awesome.