Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Habits and addiction

The great thing about writing every day is that, if you persevere with it, and if you have a good attitude and relationship with the writing process, it can become a habit that borders on addiction. It's a constant challenge, but it's also consuming, distracting and pleasurable.

We all have something to say. When we get in the habit of putting it on paper, it begins to feel as if we are being heard--or at least that we might be heard. Putting it on paper can have all the gratification of imagining that snappy response an hour after the conversation took place. "Ah, but I should have said that! That would have shown how brilliant I am!"

Sure, tomorrow we may hate what we wrote, but in the moment, in that brief moment when you feel that your words are perfect and precise, is that not a moment of intense emotional gratification? And the more we practice our writing, the more common do we experience at least the sense that we are on the verge.

Once you begin, and one you give yourself to the project, it can become addictive, so that you end up returning to it, despite the pain and frustration you might have felt. Sometimes, anyway.

Ok, sure, it's easy to lose the habit of writing. Writing is difficult. But it's compelling, too. The sense of loss when you give it up can be significant.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Some of great writers had a plan - no less than 500 word per day. I don't remember their name.. sorry...
By the way - take a look my FIRST article in English, if you like.
http://mikerussia.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-not-to-frighten-lack-away.html

Dave said...

Names are unnecessary. Almost every writer who has been successful will say that writing regularly was central.

What I find interesting is the number that didn't have to make such rules, because they couldn't not write, because writing was a natural expression, one used to relate to the world and interact with others. That's the addiction I was talking about, in its strongest form.

But yes, even with its positively addictive qualities, most of us have to force ourselves to write.

BTW, for a FIRST article in English, that's a great piece of writing. I was wondering, though, was the "lack" in the title, the "luck" that you refer to later?

Unknown said...

Thanks Dave!
Yes, the "luck" in the title referees to the text lower. Why?

One more ideas of mine about writing. I've found that I don't have enough time for all things I'd like to do and try in my life. But I know what I want to have in my life and all these I able to get by writing.
So I made writing as main thing in my life. It means I'm spending about 8 hours every day for writing and remainder for another affairs like photographing and love and so on:-).

How about you? How many time do you spend for writing?

Dave said...

Check your spelling. In the title you have written "LACK" not "LUCK", you continue to use "lack" until about halfway down. "Luck/LUCK" is the proper word, I think.

My writing schedule is irregular to say the least. It's not what I would recommend to other writers, and indeed not what I would recommend for myself. Very often what I write about in this blog is a lesson that I'm struggling to learn for myself.