Friday, July 8, 2011

Writing is Not Solitary

I've been writing today.
I am in the midst of my two-week break between quarters, and although my time is full of other things (including some intensive spring cleaning for the whole house, gearing up for a visit from my aunt at the end of the month), I took today to write.

Shortly before dinner, and partly because of the heat, I decided to put my computer to sleep and rethink whether I wanted to continue writing after dinner. I ate, returned to my room and pondered. I woke it up and was going to shut down for the night when I checked a friend's blog.

There is a lot about writing that forces the writer to sit by him- or herself in a room with pen and paper, or computer, and work alone for hours, days, even weeks or months without real connections to other people. But it is not a solitary act.

It is not a solitary act.

Although some people don't work well with writing groups, usually a writer has at least someone they can talk to. This may be talking out plot points, or just looking for some encouragement. It may be a beta reader or a cheerleader. All have their purposes and place in the process. (I promise the alliteration isn't deliberate.)

Tonight, I regained the urge, even stronger than earlier today, to keep writing, to keep going for as long as I could. So thank you, fellow writer. I'd been sitting in a room by myself for too long.

Happy writing, everyone.

2 comments:

Jennifer Ambrose said...

Yay! Your welcome. You know, I was hitting a wall last night too. I decided to check facebook (most people were either asleep or out with friends). I saw your writing update, which had only been posted an hour before so I figured you were still writing. It made me feel like I wasn't alone either! Team effort.

Also, is Sailor Mercury your favorite scout? That's my twin sister's favorite as well! Good choice.

Sabrina Favors said...

I always fluctuate between Sailor Mercury, who appeals to my quiet, bookish side, and Sailor Jupiter, because I like to think I'd be that tough if I got in a fight.

But yeah, it really helped the other night. Especially because I'm in Hawaii, so when I'm writing later in the evening or at night, everyone else I could talk to is usually asleep. It's a pleasant surprise when someone else is up and writing.