Oh I talk a good game, sure. But as to actually getting anything done? Weeeell, not so much. In my entire time writing I’ve managed a couple of chapbooks of poetry. The odd story or poem here and there and, famously, the drnken zombie haiku incident. It’s a fairly paltry return from eighteen years of thinking yourself a writer. There is, of course, dear old Coastalblog, which pretty much sums the whole thing up. Random, slapdash, and prone to go quiet for months at a time.
However one of the interesting side-effects of viewing oneself as a writer, despite never actually getting any writing done, is that you have a whole bunch of half-baked ideas knocking around the place, some of them quite fleshed out, some even half-written, most just a single line like “fat bloke goes running”. And I’ve got a LOT. I mean, I’ve written nigh on constantly for eighteen years, without ever actually finishing a thing. So I’m doing something with them. Not actually finishing them, god no, that would require actual discipline. No, what I’m doing is...something else. Pissing about, basically, but possibly in a slightly more refined way than usual.
Of course, that said, the strong likelihood is that this is yet another project which will fizzle out. But, for once, that’s kind of the point.
I think the only thing more necessary than a writer having to write is a writer having doubts about themselves and/or their craft. I respect your writing very much and keep 'L39' by my desk :)
ReplyDeleteThanks very much! I wouldn't say it's doubt so much, more recognition of my terminal lack of discipline. But I'm very glad to hear of L39's proximity to your deskk.
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