Writing’s been a struggle for me the last several weeks, but not because I can’t put words to paper—it’s easy enough to do that. It’s more because there are so many thoughts swirling in my head that I’ve been struggling to organize them. Add in any kind of negative feelings—anxiety, stress, exhaustion, fear—and it becomes much harder for me.
Merriam Webster defines “writer” simply as “one that writes;” dictionary.com has a more comprehensive definition with seven options one of which is “a person who commits their thoughts, ideas, etc. to writing.”
Writing is more than just adding words to a sheet of paper (analog or virtual). Anaïs Nin said “The role of the writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say.” Her description is closer, I think, but I actually use an even looser, more comprehensive definition.
Writers are communicators; writers are observers; writers are thinkers. Knowing that, writers are translators—they translate thoughts, feelings, observations, and interpretations into a cohesive description. The best writers can do so in a way that allows a reader to understand the point they’re trying to make, whether or not that includes a piece of paper.
People that write and do so well communicate a truth, but before that they have to have to be able to organize their thoughts. Have you ever tried to organize your thoughts and feelings into something another can truly understand?
Right now, that’s where I am—I’m trying to organize my thoughts, feelings, and observations into a clear narrative that I can post. Blogs are inherently short—usually only about 1,000 words, but the posts I write are generally even shorter. One of my main goals as a blogger is to simply describe a thought-provoking snapshot of truth. My posts get to the point quickly, but to do that, a post is generally swirling in my head for days or weeks sometimes. It’s only when a Muse can show me the point and I can see the beginning of the post that I can begin to write about it. Even then, each post is edited a few times to make sure that only the ideas that pertain to my thought are included. During the editing process, diction is checked, paragraphs get moved, sentences get deleted, further clarification is added so my point is clear.
I can write, edit, and post a blog in a couple hours, but thinking my way through it can take days, weeks, or months while I organize my thoughts and find my point. And to me, the thinking part—the part where someone takes the thoughts, feelings, and observations and find the message—that’s what makes a “writer”. We all learn to spell and construct sentences, paragraphs, and essays about a topic in school, but few are able to find the point and convey it well. That’s the goal—whether it’s in writing, in a discussion with friends, or in front of a larger audience.
And right now? Right now, I’m observing everything, feeling everything, thinking through the ramifications of everything. There are truths and opinions and a lot of pieces that are unimportant. That’s part of the reason why I’m not really a journalist—I need time to mull things over, to sift through it all to find how they translate.
When that happens, there may be more blogging on Medium.com, which is where my random thoughts go; in the meantime, I’ll keep describing my favorite books over on The Reading Alcove, but please be patient if my posts about writing aren’t as frequent. Everything right now is swirling and I haven’t found the right words.
I know this process so well. I means I’m in the right track but sometimes I need to impose structure, the classic structure, and see what beats go where. It’s the only way of knowing if I have anything good.
This piece really spoke to me. Thank you for sharing.