Totally ripped this off of Nathan and Elana's blogs.
I read two really good blogs today by Elana and Nathan Bransford
Basically dealing respectively with whether or not writing was worth it and how fellow writer's deal with the whole "Am I crazy for doing this?" that I think we all feel at one point.
I was reading the comments in Elana's blog and while alot of them said some really amazing things, there were a few that really stood out to me.
Michelle Mclean said:
"It isn't the writing that brings me stress. It's the querying, the submissions, the constant and never-ending edits and revisions, striving to get the ms as perfect as I can get it. THAT is what drives me to the ledge and leaves me hanging."
I thought that was profound in a really simplistic way. When it boils down to it--THAT'S what I stress about. Even though I have gotten writer's block, when it's gone...a floodgate of creativity rushes through and the writing is the easiest part.
It's the querying and re-writing and edits and synopsis and all of that which has me wigging out in the middle of the night. It's worrying about if I have the ms formatted in the right way, and if I worded my query exactly right, oh and--how exactly should I do a synopsis. And the fear, the absolute dreading fear that even if I DO do all of that right...agencies STILL might hate it.
And as much as I love writing, just for the writing it would really hurt to feel like all that work was for nothing.
It's just shitty is what it is. But we do it..because we ARE crazy. Every last one of us. And if you say you aren't..you're in serious denial and I'm calling you out right here and right now. I'm from the ghetto. That's how we do!
Another one that stood out to me was by Suzanne (I don't know her, but I love looking at her blog!)
She said:
"Because right about now, I don't friggen know.
So I am trying to figure it out as well. Sometimes I wish I'd never started. Sometimes I can't believe it took me so long.
There is that quote right? I can't remember who said it: "I write because I must."
That is it right now. Just like breathing. Only right now I have writers pneumonia and each breath feels like knives in my chest. (overly dramatic?)"
No, not overly dramatic. Just true.
I've been there...probably get there again before everything is said and done.
Sometimes this hurts.
Somethings this feels hard.
Sometimes it seems pointless.
But we do it because we're crazy. Because we're artists. Because we love this.
It makes sense, even if we don't.
Autumn Morning Jog
11 hours ago
4 comments:
Thank you for following my blog, Alicia! I read some of your story on a previous post and it is amazing. I love your descriptions of the heat in the bus.
I wouldn't be surprised if you got an agent for your book.
Thank you so much! That makes it feel all worth it. I loved the picture of you with your flute. It made me remember the time I was in Bedford, England during Christmas, and my ex-boyfriend's mother took me into town and I saw this woman playing the flute beautifully. I'll never forget it. Thanks for following me!
Great post! I don't care if you ripped the idea from other people. You make a great point here with your own words as well as others. I can't imagine any artist NOT feeling crazy. When we pour so much of ourselves into something that is outside of ourselves, we're bound to look at it and wonder if it's worth they pain and energy we put it into it. I say it is worth it every time. Artistic expression is one of the most beautiful things about being human.
You're totally right! Creating something is worth everything. Sometimes when I lose that creative-ness (yes, that's a word ;-)), that's when writing--or creating anything--doesn't seem worth it.
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