What’s the Worst Thing about Being a Writer?

“I hate writing, but I love having written.” -  Dorothy Parker

This week I look at the dark side of writing. For me, the worst thing about writing is when I can’t do it. Generally this manifests in one of two ways. In one, I have the desire to write but I am in a place where it is inconvenient to do so. This may happen when I am driving, engaged in a social event that requires my attention, or just as my head hits the pillow. A poem or a story pops into my head, along with a longing to drop everything so I can write. It is like unrequited love; I feel the longing but I can’t do much about it.

The other frustration about writing is when I just can’t think of words. This week I hit this type of wall. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it is maddening. It’s like I had a stroke and I can’t find words. The remedy for this is to write anyway, and to ignore the form. For example, say I want to describe my experience climbing a mountain, but I am plagued by aphasia. I can start writing and labor over every word, but this usually end as being quite unproductive—much like a scratch on a record—I keep saying the same thing over again. It works best if instead, I plow ahead. I might write, “The mountain was xxx, and I loved breathing the cool air. My heart was beating fast, as I climbed the xxx path.” The x’s represent words I can’t think of and clearly the writing is crap. However, this method keeps me moving, and eventually I get past the stuck part. I can always clean up the style on the rewrite.

What don’t you like about being a writer?

What’s the Best Thing about Being a Writer?

“We work in the dark—we give what we can—we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.” - Henry James

Recently, Oprah magazine interviewed six writers. One of the interview questions was, “What’s the best thing about being a writer?” The answers varied. Mary Gaitskill replied, “The best thing about writing is being able to clearly express things in a way you can’t express in conversation.” Jeffrey Eugenides said, “It’s that, no matter how long you’ve been at it, you always start from scratch.”  Then Eugenides supplied the Henry James quote that I used above.

For me, the best thing about writing is the craft. Perhaps wordsmithing describes it best. It’s the organization, the choice, the tone, and the rhythm.  It is the play of vowel upon consonant, the thought which can be sculpted so many different ways, and the evolution of ideas. I just like to write.

What do you like about being a writer?

Procrastination

"The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair."
- Mary Heaton Vorse

Many writers are all too familiar with the devils of writing: distraction and procrastination. When I first got the idea of writing a book, I’d sit down, and think, “I can’t write until I clean up my desk. While I am here, I might as well pay my bills. All my pencils need sharpening (Although I write on a computer), and now that I am here, I might as well alphabetize my book collection.” By then it was time for lunch, and when I finished eating, it would be time to polish the silver.

And so it went, until I finally understood the advice given by every serious writer: In order to be a writer, you must write. Walter Mosley, Caroline See, and a host of other writers say that you must write just about every day.

For me, daily writing is the only defense against procrastination.

Landmarks

The desire to write grows with writing. — Erasmus

I am officially half way through the first draft of my book. Earlier this week when I saw this landmark ahead of me, I imagined myself crossing it with great fanfare. I even dangled a carrot ahead of me, promising my husband dinner out if I finished this chapter. What I didn’t see coming is this: I’d rather stay home and write some more than go out. Writing is not a chore; it is a pleasure (mostly). It’s like when I was a kid playing with friends during the summer, and my mother calls me home to have dinner. I didn’t want to stop for dinner; I was having way too much fun.

Unhumility

“Writers must fortify themselves with pride and egotism as best they can. The process is analogous to using sandbags and loose timbers to protect a house against flood. Writers are vulnerable creatures like anyone else. For what do they have in reality? Not sandbags, not timbers. Just a flimsy reputation and a name.” - Brian Aldiss

In my last post, I extolled the virtues of humility, pooh-poohing the prestige often associated with being a writer. Well, all pretense of humility was put to the test this week, and let me state unequivocally that I have a robust ego.

It happened during a phone call. I had to call my publisher for some information and he was out of town. My question was general, and I explained to the telephone receptionist that I thought my question could be answered by someone else. Before routing me to the correct person, she asked, “Are you one of our authors?” And of course I answered, “Yes.”

My head has been huge all week. Every once in awhile I swagger a bit, reciting to myself, “I am an AUTHOR. How cool is that!” I haven’t even finished the book, let alone published it, but I am floating.

This week I had the photo taken, ostensibly for promotional purposes, but presumably for my book jacket. Actually, I should say cover since this will be a paperback and there won’t be a jacket on it. I purchased the electronic rights, so when I get it, I’ll post it to my blog.