There are certain advantages to writing in a notebook as opposed to on a web blog. I suppose the main one that I am considering is the fact that the notebook kicks around, reminding me whenever I spot it, or step on it, that I need to sit down and write in it. The visual stimulus of the book sometimes gets the juices flowing. One doesn't sit down to one's writer's journal, for instance, and decide to first play a game, or see if anyone other than a spammer has sent one a message. Well, I suppose one might, but the very act of picking up the journal doesn't generally stimulate thoughts along those lines.
I came down to the computer almost three hours ago, thinking I might just write a quick blog. But first, I checked the e-mail. I remembered I needed some information about a local business, and checked their website. I went to a game site and played a couple of quick games -- that surprisingly took about an hour. I re-checked the e-mail, and decided I really should sort through the inbox a little so I could better see what I had there. In the course of sorting, I discovered an e-mail about the family history indexing projects I used to contribute to faithfully, and that they were trying to complete the Canadian census index in a rush, so I decided I could give a little time to it. Turned out they didn't have a page available for me to work on, so I did a page from the US 1920 Census (Illinois) instead. That was fun, but it had been long enough I had to do a quick refresher course on some of the "how do I index this?" issues that came up. I finished it and looked at the clock, decided to check the e-mail once more to see if there was a response to any of the e-mail messages I sent earlier (there wasn't) and noticed a message that I hadn't read, which happened to have a link to Blogger.
And now, here I am, at 2:55am, writing another way-to-short, way-to-dull, non-creative, non-thought-provoking entry, just so my Blog (so far unread by anyone else) can have an entry more recent than a month and a half ago.
Now, I went on and on about the benefits of the notebook, but to be realistic, a notebook can be misplaced and forgotten. My best writer's journal is a small notebook that fit neatly in a pocket of my purse -- but when I had a baby 15 months ago and switched to a diaperbag and a smaller purse, the notebook remained in the big one. I no longer open my purse and am reminded that I am on some level a writer. I am reminded that I need to get my receipts entered into the computer, and that I am out of cash again.
Perhaps the problem isn't that the blog is "out of sight, out of mind." Perhaps it is that my dream of being a "real" writer is.
2 comments:
Fundamentally, you are a writer. I realized that through my process of writing a novel. I figured when I was done I could call myself a writer. But I always was a writer. It doesn't matter that my novel will probably never see the light of day (it's not that good) and my poetry will definitely never see the light of day (even worse than the novel); I am still a writer. It is a need deep down in my soul to express myself through the written word. Some day the stars will align, or whatever, and then the time will be right to sit down and let all your creative energy flow out onto the page and you will find something almost magical appear. Don't ever, ever give up on your dream!!!!
Thanks, Sandi! It is funny how there are days when I feel that dream SO real... When I went to the school Book Fair last week, I thought, SOME day, kids ARE going to see MY books in one of these. (Funny, I didn't think they might BUY one, just that they would see them.)
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