I've been stuck on the essay this week. We've had family in town and I've been unable to escape it all. I seem to remember, most writers do their stuff late at night or early in the morning, locked away in a private study, or sequestered in friend's summer homes during the winter months or in the back corner of a busy coffee shop.
The point is, writing requires solitude, of some sort. I've learned recently, that silence actually helps, as the effect of noise, especially music, on mood is profound.
The reality, for me, seems to be that the best way to write is to meditate. To find solitude & silence, close my eyes and type away. Focus on the ideas as they come, hold onto them until they're out.
The notion of closing my eyes is also new. I'm not sure how I came about it, exactly. I've always closed my eyes to envision things, then I'd open them, type until the image left my mind, close the eyes again and repeat. Now, they stay closed as I type, unless I need to edit or read what's been written.
Part of the trouble I've been having is coming up with a topic I can expound upon. There is no real shortage of topics, I am in a bad mental state for writing essays. I feel less than competent and I'm unsatisfied with my “voice” in formal writing.
I haven't been able to grasp what's wrong with the voice I use, exactly. It's just not right, not entirely me.
I did write quite a lot over the weekend. I didn't save much of it. I didn't finish any of it. The bigger trouble is, I see interconnectedness between all sorts of subject matter. So, I sit down to write about something small but (and particularly in this state of mind) I begin writing about literally everything. An impossible task, especially when I'm encumbered by humility.
So, for this week, this is what you get. All apologies.
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