I had an awful time of it over the last two days, trying to put together a short story to submit for my creative writing course's second assignment. I'd had an idea for a while, but when it came down to it, I just wasn't that interested in putting it together. It's one of the weird things about doing this course - I'm supposed to want to write, but it makes you write particular things in a particular way at particular times. Creativity doesn't work like that.
Anyway, I got through it somehow. It's not very good, certainly not my best work. Towards the end I started to think parts of it might not be that bad. I don't think the story worked within the confines of the word limit, not that I was keen to have to write any more. I was working at it until half an hour before midnight, what I considered to be the deadline. You know, before the date changed.
Anyway, it got me to thinking. If I want to be serious about the whole smelly writing lark, I need to make it part of my life. It can't just be a thing I begrudgingly do when an assignment I don't like comes round.
So here was my thought: write something every day. And that could be just be a blog post, like this, or it could be part of something more substantial. And if I can't get to a computer or wherever I'm writing, it can be something like a haiku.
It's time to put my pen where my mouth is. And start chewing.
LET us go then, you and I ...through certain half-deserted streets... To lead you to an overwhelming question...
2 comments:
I couldn't write to order. My ideas usually come when I'm washing up. Your mum will be very pleased too.
I had the same problem when I joined a creative writing class, maybe join a local writers group instead? I started one up in my local area, it worked really well and it was a lot more fun. :-)
p.s. Teaching in Japan sounds so cool. I just finished a module in Japanese popular culture and politics, really interesting.
Post a Comment