Writing

Writing is an art. A writer is an artist. Anybody that has ever done arts and crafts with me knows I am not an artist. Anything sticky, such as glue or tape, does not bode well with me. I manage to get it stuck on my fingers, in my hair, anywhere other than the place it actually needs to be. Same goes with paint, which is why no one asks for my help when painting. I'm not sure I could keep within the lines in a coloring book. A task, I'm sure my nieces and nephews can do effortlessly. Fortunately, I am able to laugh at myself and the project. A disconcerting attribute for those taking the project seriously.

Back to writing. I fear my attempts at writing mimic my attempts at other arts and crafts. Words probably don't end up where I want them. Thoughts aren't connected. And the end product does not mirror what was on the box. 

The difference lies in the fact that I actually want to be good at this writing thing one day. My gingerbread houses can remain crooked and paint jobs messy but as for my writing I hope it is understandable, meaningful, colorful, and good. Truly though, I am not even sure what I mean by that. When I typed those words images of Martha Stewart perfectly put together projects came to mind. I don't necessarily want such perfect pieces of work where the edges are smoothed out and the colors don't run together. Let there be rough edges and a messy run of ideas. Ultimately, I just want it to be readable.

In pursuit of this writer ideal I have briefly explored books and articles concerning writing. The best to date is Stephen King's On Writing. His best advice is simply, "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." Similarly, Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, argues the same point for excelling in just about anything. Gladwell suggests that a 10,000 hour rule applies for success. That is, to excel at a task on must perform said task for around 10,000 hours. Achieving 10,000 hours at any task takes up to 10 years, according to Gladwell, concentrating on the task for 20 hours a week.

Seems daunting. Fortunately, I enjoy reading and there are millions of books I need to get to. The daunting part is the writing. Not because I don't like to write but because I fear it. This fear, as many fears, come from my lack of confidence in myself. At times I feel the fear and hesitation comes from the lack of purpose. Obviously, I need to overcome these things if I am to get my 10,000 hours (I think I found my purpose!).

Stephen King also points out the hierarchy of writers. At the bottom of the pyriamid are the bad writers (yes, there are plenty of bad writes he blatantly points out). Up a level are the competent writers. On the much smaller level above competent writers are the really good writers. And at the tippy top where only a very limited number of writers are included are the genius writers, "divine accidents" as King called them. His opinion on the hierarchy is both troubling and motivating depending on where one falls: "While it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writers, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help to make a good writer out of a merely competent one."

My hope is that I am a competent writer. My hope is that I have it in me to work hard and dedicate myself to this craft. My hope is that my first hopes will produce the hope I stated earlier to be considered a good writer. My hope is that timely help doesn't take too long.

This blog is going to serve as one of those avenues to writing a lot, those audacious 10,000 hours. I realize that it may sometimes feel like my other art and craft projects, out of control. In that, it has its purpose. I don't have an editor. I don't have a proofreader. I just have little old me. In an effort to remove hurdles that would scare me away from writing, it will remain as is. For sake of this blog I write and then I post. I rarely reread and I rarely have more then the one draft. You could say its my thoughts and ideas in its roughest and rawest form. It also makes my blog sound cooler than it really is. Raw and rough really just means bad grammar and sentence structure.

In short, expect to see me posts. If you really don't want to suffer through my ramblings, wait 10 years or so and by then I may have produced some real art. By then I may call myself an artist. Until then, I'll just read and write.