Thursday, March 31, 2011

writing.

What I'd like my writing process to be:
Wake up.
Drink water.
Drink coffee.
Write 3 brilliant pages that came to me in a dream.
Eat breakfast while gazing out the window.
Edit those 3 pages of brilliance, then, so inspired, write 5 pages more.
Go about my day smugly satisfied with aforementioned brilliance.

What my writing process apparently is:
Wake up.
Check to see if the grant I applied to months ago has sent out a response yet.
Think about what to do in my near future when I see that it hasn't.
Think about what to do today, and what order to do it in, and how it will all get done.
Drink watercoffeebreakfast.
Sit down with computer, write a paragraph.
Check to see if the grant I applied to months ago has sent out a response yet.
Edit paragraph, feel despair.
Check facebook to see if anyone else is feeling despair.
Do some reading for class, make fun of the writer for the HORRIBLE arguments I see.
Look at edited paragraph.
Write a paragraph in a notebook, because everything will be better if I just write with pen and paper.
Type paragraph from notebook verbatim into Word.  Edit in Word.
Move to library, everything will be better at the library...(shuffle and repeat, and also add:  make peanut butter and jelly sandwich, look for coffee, drink coffee)

4 comments:

beebokay said...

What are you trying to write? Maybe if you don't worry so much and perform some other activity with a meditative quality it will come to you. Good Luck.

Elizabeth said...

Thanks, Bee...yeah, I need to calm down a bit! I'm trying to write my thesis

Maria Sonevytsky said...

HI Elizabeth! I empathize as I sit here and write my dissertation - I wanted to attribute the post you had about the Hijab and Passport photos in 2010 on your blog - Would you mind emailing me at maria.sonevytsky@gmail.com. Also, you might be interested in checking out the blog i kept while in Crimea in 2008 - www.mysimferopolhome.blogspot.com. I think we know a lot of the same people!

Maggie Madagame said...

i second the "brilliant" it's all about one foot in front of the other and one swallow of coffee or tea after the other. Then, hopefully a walk, a run or a deep breath of fresh air that hasn't been smogged up with exhaust! our distractions may even be the thing that brings clarity to our ideas.