Dammit, this is a revelation, and eerily appeared just when I was castigating myself for not wearing my writing hairshirt to the laptop every single morning! Thank you Shannan.
This is my writing style. Never force it, you’ll end up with subpar work you’ll be sad you produced. I’m constantly saving little notes of random facts, sentences or words that I know would be great in an essay or story. My favorite thing in the world is to see them appear months later in a unified form. The compost analogy is so good. Let. It. Rot!
There seems to be two distinct groups of writers and readers in the world.
Those that want to read/write a lot, and those that want to read/write something influential.
The former is a much larger group. And much of that group churns on advice tailored to that form of writing. Stephan King's On Writing is a good example of that, as well as the advice he's given in interviews over the years. Get the routine, get pages per day done.
"Inspiration shows up, but it has to find you working" (Picasso, but it fits).
This mentality is great if you want to be known as a writer and want to make a business of writing. There are countless YouTube channels now sharing similar advice. The story and character templates. The highlighted writing routines. I enjoyed these YouTube channels and all the advice and encouragement they shared. Until I realized something. I don't really like Stephen King books...
I have had trouble in book clubs because I think a large percentage of the reading population also falls into this former category. Much more concerned with their Goodreads 50 books in a year reading goal, than what they actually read. Personally, I'd rather read one book in a year, in a decade, that I could think about that whole time over 500 books that are a blurred soup, fading from my mind.
There can certainly be a tendency on both sides to dismiss the other. "They are elitist kill joys." vs "They are unthinking consumers." ...but we can and actually need both groups. Both help the industry and each other. They challenge and encourage each other. I'm so thankful I've found a book club that actually appreciates my dissenting opinion on books. I have been able to help people think deeper about books, and they have helped me find some gems that I wouldn't have tried because they seemed "too popular."
But I thank you for this essay. It gives voice to a quieter but no less passionate population of book people. I love the compost analogy as I feel I've had that floating in my soul without a name for a long time and you helped bring it into focus.
I agree with this so much. I sit on a book for years before finally writing it, and then when it happens it it just takes over my mind. I dreamed up one book in 2003. I wrote it between 2013 and 2016. Another book I started in 2009. It didn't come out until 2021. During these years breakups, marriage and divorce happened to me. They seasoned me and added to my compost pile (freaking perfect analogy). So yeah, I write when the words call and when they call there's plenty to excavate. But the truth is I can go months without writing anything at all. I don't journal. I just be. Also, thank you for calling out the 'gurus' who push people to shit out words every day. That's not how it works. Words are like cats, they come to you when they're ready.
So, lately I've taken a different tack— which IS to write every day (not the 5AM kind!). What I've found? There are "things" colliding with "dreams" (or other things!) all the fucking time—as long as I am vaguely committed to noticing (which is what I think a poet is — a noticing being). I've found a freedom in this. Instead of writing being the precious little creature I must coddle with silence and a well sharpened Black Wing, I've found I can sit anywhere and let the poem sweep over me. It's been a little bit magical.
Oh, as as someone who keeps a literal compost heap, I love the metaphor!
I needed to see this yesterday I was was forcing myself to write and after breaking from it knew it was a stinker. The verses weren’t gelling and my voice felt inauthentic. It felt off. And today I realized I’m very tired. I couldn’t even journal this afternoon during downtime and it just needs a minute. Too much stress, anxiety, and disordered (not the good kind) thinking going on. Ultimately a night for video games.
Thank you so much for this article, it is truly reaffirming, invigorating, and soothing. I had spent the day doom scrolling, feeling bad about procrastinating my writing, but this helped adjust my perspective so much.
Thanks for this. I indeed allow myself to rot but I also write down everyday observations, journal, write a poem here and there, read a lot of poetry including here, I read books, I read articles especially inspirational ones. But write every single day? Nah and I’m fine with that
YES to all of what you wrote! Same goes for music composition and many other art forms. Works for me. I haven't had the same schedule day to day for decades, and with so much variability in work and family life I couldn't possibly write every day or at the same time. But everyday I do go outside, observe, listen, use all my senses, read, and sometimes take notes to use whenever I do have writing time. I think of it as collecting material for a collage, but composting is good too!
You can count on this, if your purpose is to make money, you will exhaust yourself chasing it. If your purpose is to do the thing you enjoy doing, you will enjoy bountiful abundance.
Dammit, this is a revelation, and eerily appeared just when I was castigating myself for not wearing my writing hairshirt to the laptop every single morning! Thank you Shannan.
This is so real. Creativity needs down time to coalesce
Bravo: I needed this. Thank you.
One of your best, Shannon!
This is my writing style. Never force it, you’ll end up with subpar work you’ll be sad you produced. I’m constantly saving little notes of random facts, sentences or words that I know would be great in an essay or story. My favorite thing in the world is to see them appear months later in a unified form. The compost analogy is so good. Let. It. Rot!
There seems to be two distinct groups of writers and readers in the world.
Those that want to read/write a lot, and those that want to read/write something influential.
The former is a much larger group. And much of that group churns on advice tailored to that form of writing. Stephan King's On Writing is a good example of that, as well as the advice he's given in interviews over the years. Get the routine, get pages per day done.
"Inspiration shows up, but it has to find you working" (Picasso, but it fits).
This mentality is great if you want to be known as a writer and want to make a business of writing. There are countless YouTube channels now sharing similar advice. The story and character templates. The highlighted writing routines. I enjoyed these YouTube channels and all the advice and encouragement they shared. Until I realized something. I don't really like Stephen King books...
I have had trouble in book clubs because I think a large percentage of the reading population also falls into this former category. Much more concerned with their Goodreads 50 books in a year reading goal, than what they actually read. Personally, I'd rather read one book in a year, in a decade, that I could think about that whole time over 500 books that are a blurred soup, fading from my mind.
There can certainly be a tendency on both sides to dismiss the other. "They are elitist kill joys." vs "They are unthinking consumers." ...but we can and actually need both groups. Both help the industry and each other. They challenge and encourage each other. I'm so thankful I've found a book club that actually appreciates my dissenting opinion on books. I have been able to help people think deeper about books, and they have helped me find some gems that I wouldn't have tried because they seemed "too popular."
But I thank you for this essay. It gives voice to a quieter but no less passionate population of book people. I love the compost analogy as I feel I've had that floating in my soul without a name for a long time and you helped bring it into focus.
thank you so much i can’t even tell u how bad i needed this rn
The only way to find the words and wring out the rot, is to muck about quite a bit and get lost in your thoughts.
I agree with this so much. I sit on a book for years before finally writing it, and then when it happens it it just takes over my mind. I dreamed up one book in 2003. I wrote it between 2013 and 2016. Another book I started in 2009. It didn't come out until 2021. During these years breakups, marriage and divorce happened to me. They seasoned me and added to my compost pile (freaking perfect analogy). So yeah, I write when the words call and when they call there's plenty to excavate. But the truth is I can go months without writing anything at all. I don't journal. I just be. Also, thank you for calling out the 'gurus' who push people to shit out words every day. That's not how it works. Words are like cats, they come to you when they're ready.
So, lately I've taken a different tack— which IS to write every day (not the 5AM kind!). What I've found? There are "things" colliding with "dreams" (or other things!) all the fucking time—as long as I am vaguely committed to noticing (which is what I think a poet is — a noticing being). I've found a freedom in this. Instead of writing being the precious little creature I must coddle with silence and a well sharpened Black Wing, I've found I can sit anywhere and let the poem sweep over me. It's been a little bit magical.
Oh, as as someone who keeps a literal compost heap, I love the metaphor!
I needed to see this yesterday I was was forcing myself to write and after breaking from it knew it was a stinker. The verses weren’t gelling and my voice felt inauthentic. It felt off. And today I realized I’m very tired. I couldn’t even journal this afternoon during downtime and it just needs a minute. Too much stress, anxiety, and disordered (not the good kind) thinking going on. Ultimately a night for video games.
WELL.
Thank you so much for this article, it is truly reaffirming, invigorating, and soothing. I had spent the day doom scrolling, feeling bad about procrastinating my writing, but this helped adjust my perspective so much.
Thanks for this. I indeed allow myself to rot but I also write down everyday observations, journal, write a poem here and there, read a lot of poetry including here, I read books, I read articles especially inspirational ones. But write every single day? Nah and I’m fine with that
YES to all of what you wrote! Same goes for music composition and many other art forms. Works for me. I haven't had the same schedule day to day for decades, and with so much variability in work and family life I couldn't possibly write every day or at the same time. But everyday I do go outside, observe, listen, use all my senses, read, and sometimes take notes to use whenever I do have writing time. I think of it as collecting material for a collage, but composting is good too!
You can count on this, if your purpose is to make money, you will exhaust yourself chasing it. If your purpose is to do the thing you enjoy doing, you will enjoy bountiful abundance.