No One Has Passion Every Day
Maybe it was that party last night. Maybe it’s I’m getting old and cranky. Maybe I’m catching a cold, getting the flu, or maybe folks just irritate me.
Immitation is the highest form of pissing me off. Quit stealing my content and violating my copyright. — Jen T. Verburmessor
It doesn’t matter, if I’m feeling mean and puny. Blog posts are waiting to appear on that blank screen. Why do we do that? It’s hard and it takes so much investment. Then if we’re lucky folks read it and comment, and the comments, well the comments, . . . and if we’re lucky folks write helpful comments that make us think.
- There’s one reason to write — the comments we receive can make us see our ideas. Sometimes folks interpret what we write in ways we never expected.
- Speaking of which, writing is a chance to say something uninterrupted. If we take the time to think through a thought we can present it fully, completely, and entirely.
- Writing gives our tiny voice reach around the world. No one I know can scream that far, even though my older brother said I could.
- Writing tends to keep our feet our of our mouth. Those things we say that embarrass us — the proverbial foot in our mouth — doesn’t happen much when we’re typing out the next thought we usually think about it.
- Talk floats away, but our writing stays for tomorrow. In the case of the Internet it stays longer than we will. That’s a legacy, boys and girls, Folks will know us long after we can say anything about it.
- Every – single – word – of – quality – content – we – write – is – promotion. Relevant content converts to audience attention which makes it more relevant which means that search engines value it more and more so that it becomes even more relevant.
- Look at how each post makes us more visible.
- Writing is a great way for people to get to know our goals, our skills, our aspirations.
- Writing makes us think through and organize our thinking. By articulating our ideas in writing, we force ourselvess to pinpoint our meaning. A goal that isn’t written is a speeding train soon to run over us and the goal we have been planning.
- Here’s our chance to tell our story loudly and clearly so that folks can hear it.
- Don’t forget what we write brings people who comment back. Some of those people are destined to be with us in the summers and all of the seasons.
Whew! I’m feeling less cranky, less mean and puny. I’m feeling more like writing those blog posts now. I’ve got those 11 good reasons. Of course, I have a whole lot more reasons. They are the folks who read what I write. You know them . . . some of them write spy novels — or, like me, that’s what they say they do.
Liz Strauss
12 thoughts on “11 Reasons to Write When You’ve Misplaced Your Passion”
Hi Troy, Hi Raj,
Writing fiction is an important skill to blogging, if you have it. The sense of story, the sense of characters, the rhythm of the language that a writer gets from writing fiction helps to lift the text off the screen.
Fiction, as you both know, gets us to understand how people talk in print — which is not the same as writing down what you say. Conversational writing comes easier.
That’s only one major benefir of writing fiction. Using fiction techniques as you talked about Raj in weaving posts together is another. Writing fiction makes us more flexible writers.
And bloggers are writers.
My fictional characters write their own stories, after I’ve set up the premise. Back in Jan-Mar of 2002, after my last real-world contract, I started a 100 short stories based on a loose alternate Earth universe and unsual premises. I defined the characters and the basic premise, tried to visualize what they were up to, and ended up with 5 novelettes and 55 short stories – not to mention, ideas for another 40.
I try, when possible, to do something similar for blogging – tell a story, weave it through multiple posts over time. But with blogging, they’re usually non-fictional stories.
Heh, I know what you mean with the characters winning, but really, is it such a bad thing?
Mostly, if you know your characters well enough, all you have to do is plonk them in a situation, then just sit back and think what would happen. Give one a line, then let the others respond and spool it from there. The better you know the characters the easier it is to write. I’ve been writing one project for almost 5 years now, and I can now just give ‘guidance’ on the plot, the characters’ dialogue comes naturally.
Wow, I tend to rant a bit. Sorry for the tangential discussion by the way…
Hi Troy,
I can’t say what Ahmed meant. But I sure like the word “frivolous” these days. A little frivolity can do just what you said, turn discussion in a new direction. I’m right with you on that.
I write fiction. For me, it’s a balance between controlling it and it controlling me. In the end the characters usually win. I’m a wimp.
Hmm, in my experience there’s no such thing as a ‘Frivolous’ comment. Even one word can re-angle a discussion. Of course, there are exceptions… some words should not be spoken at all, not to mention used in a discussion.
I’m primarily a fiction writer, so most things I write have no obligation or anchoring. It’s my own world, crafted through my own imagination. Kinda gives your ego something to silence your self-doubt with, being in control of a world that others can look at, however fictional, is a powerful thing.
Hi Raj,
There are two ways to kill the blank screen. One is to write away frivolously and for fun. Some folks can do that. I’m not surprised that you’re one. You like working with code. The folks who find that method works are folks who like to build from the detail. They get information down — lots of it and organize from there.
Folks who live in the big picture — that’s me — at the 30,000 foot view tend to get overwhelmed when too many unorganized details are hanging around. So we need to plan big chunks first.
I write five or six words that I might find interesting. I look at pictures. I go for one sentence that says something I want to say. Then I explode it out.
One way is from the bottom up; the other is from the top down. It’s know which way works for you that is the ksy.
Hi Ahmed,
I have no worry that I can out do anyone on the self-torture, anxiety scale. I have taken it to artform. It’s almost ballet. Though I’ve packed it up and put it in a closet, it’s like riding a bike, I can always take it out and show you how.
If find commenting on other folks’ posts often a way to unlock whatever is stuck in my head.
or comment frivolously on other people’s posts…
Writers ALWAYS go through some self-doubt, and I’m sure bloggers fit in that category. I go through it regularly. Buckle down and write something frivolous, for fun, with no pressure or motivation. It’ll help the creative juices and maybe spark an angle of discussion you hadn’t thought of.
like the ego vs self doubt comparison.
‘m better at self-torture than you are…
is that a challenge?
When I feel empty, I know that I need to visit myself. Every mistake I have ever made in life and in business is because I was looking in the wrong direction. When I can’t write it’s the same thing. Here’s what I’ve told the folks who worked for me — it’s what I do too.
Get away from things the people make. look at the sky. Look at trees. Turn off the noise and let there be silence, actually feel where your you feet touch the ground. Take a pad of paper and walk — even just around the room. In other words, get out of your head!! Turn off the tape recorder that says you aren’t good enough — I’m better at self-torture than you are . . . I’ve had more years of practice.
Writing is 1/2 ego and 1/2 self doubt. We need both for it happen — use one to manage the other. Have your ego tell the doubter to shut up. And then go look at the clouds and relax. Ideas are something we have them all of time. We don’t need to find them. We need to unplug the valve that we put in place to make them stop. We’ve just learned to stop listening to ourselves.
Hope helps. If I’ve been confusing, ask me to straighten myself out.
Liz
Liz,
what happens when you think there’s nothing left to talk about, or that everyone else is doing a better job than you in talking about it?
😛
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