Uncommon Comments: All the things that matter... About the things that really don't. The writing blog of J.D. Ketcham
Writing vs. Being a Writer
It's horrifyingly come to my attention that I'm a whole lot better at being a writer than I am at actually writing. I can espouse at length about plot arcs, dramatic vehicles, denouement, and even incremental perturbations. I've spent countless hours and money in classes and am less than 12 months from a degree in creative writing, yet I am currently frozen with a combination of fear and uncertainty when confronted with a blank page or screen. My best guess at this point is that everything I've had in mind to write up to this point is suffering from being Schroedingers Story. Much like the cat in the famous experiment, as long as it stays in the box that is my mind, it is neither alive nor dead so to speak, that is, the potential to be a good or even acceptable story is still there. However, when put down on the page, the harsh light of criticism is cast upon it and I have to admit to it's faults. I'm told that every writer has this cross to bear, and I'm assuming this is part of the process. So here I go, pushing through, putting words on the page, and hoping I don't kill the cat.
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I think the difference might be this: You are "a writer" because of your knowledge of writing (thank you, Creighton), but the "writing" part requires the experience of actually doing the thing, which of course takes longer to achieve. If this doesn't make sense, well, it just goes to prove your point. I'm better at talking about writing than actually doing it. :)
ReplyDeleteYou should see what Robert Kiyosaki says about writing a book.
ReplyDeleteHe can't write for jack, but has multiple NT TIMES best sellers