Results tagged “writing” from Wheels With a View

Habits have a way of sneaking up on you, and it turns out I have a new one. I'm in the habit of blogging.

Right now, I’m absolutely exhausted from a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend. It’s time for bed. All the lights are out in my apartment. It’s quiet and warm. And I can’t seem to close my eyes without posting a blog entry.

That’s because at the beginning of November, I set out to blog everyday for the entire month, and apparently my inner voice has not gotten the memo that it’s December 1.

That’s just fine by me. I’ve rediscovered the need to write. My November challenge did its job.

Blogging everyday wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but out of the 30 some entries I wrote, most are placeholders… snippets of thought recorded to meet a quota.

I want to improve that, so I’ve decided to continue writing everyday for another month, but I won’t be blogging as much.

Still, I have a feeling that additional blogging challenges may be in my future.

For the first time in this month-long blogging venture, tonight I find myself with nothing to say. I can’t even generate fluff.

Ironically, that’s because I have too much to say at the moment and don’t know where to begin. It’s been a wonderful rollercoaster of a day, chalked full of new ideas and thought provoking conversations. As a result, my mind is buzzing, but none of my thoughts are fully formed enough to write about. It’s easier to talk about things than write about them. Writing takes more planning and commitment.

If I’m learning anything from this exercise, it’s that there is value in getting in the habit of writing everyday. Perhaps a few frivolous entries will help me push through my writers’ block and hone my voice?

“Marry me,” a guy on the corner begged me tonight as I headed into the grocery store.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“But why not?” he persisted.

An answer came unbidden to mind and popped right out of my mouth.

“Well, for one thing, I’m quite attached to my name.”

What’s in a name? Shakespeare would say not much. And in theory, I agree. A rose by any other name does smell as sweet. But in practice, I disagree with the bard.

It’s important to own your name, especially on the Internet. Your screen name is your calling card, so it might as well be your own.

It took me some time and thought to associate my name with my online activity… as it does for me to do the same with my writing in general. But in the end, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

I’m enjoying building an evolving body of public work online. It’s pretty useful and always keeps me sharp.

What do you think about using your name online?

I’m tucked up in bed at the moment with my laptop, writing this entry. Now that I’m here, I realize that I’ve been looking forward to doing this all day. It’s not so much that I have something of substance to say tonight, but that I enjoy the simple practice of writing.

Unfortunately, I rarely save time to play with words just for fun. And now I have an excuse to because I have to set aside writing time if I’m going reach my blogging goal. It’s a win win!

Tonight I keep thinking about how words strike me.

Yesterday, I went with my friends Chris and S to see Margaret Garner, an opera with lyrics by Toni Morrison. As a general rule, I don’t like opera, but this one sparked my interest because Morrison is one of my favorite authors, and the story of Margaret Garner inspired her book Beloved, which is also a favorite of mine.

The opera lacked the punch I hoped it would have, and it didn’t hang together well. But I did appreciate parts of it. The fusion of southern negro spirituals with operatic style, for example, was fascinating. And the lyrics! Morrison has this phenomenal talent for creating sharp contrasts using simple words in unexpected ways. Her command of language, and the resulting clarity can’t come easy. But she makes it look easy. I admire that. The lyrics made the opera for me.

“But opera isn’t about lyrics,” Chris argued. “It’s about listening to the music. The music speaks directly to the soul.”

“Words can speak to the soul too,” I said.

“Yes, but through the mind first.”

I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ve had words speak directly to my heart and soul because they drive, inspire, and complement the actions that matter.