trying to write

OK, so I haven't posted for over a month, but it's not for lack of topics. I recently read On Writing Well, a classic book by William Zinsser. Unlike other books on writing that I've read before, Zinsser's suggestions are sensible and easy to remember, which is important because I don't want to be checking a reference book when I'm writing. I've tried -- it is tedious. The book also gave me a new perspective on re-writing. I used to hate re-writing because it's always been this fuzzy process of having to improve what I've written, while not knowing what was wrong. Once other people read it, they would tell me what worked and what didn't, something that is hard to figure out myself. But then once other people criticize it, my own self-doubt comes into play and I get embarrassed to look at my own writing, never mind trying to re-write.

This book made it clear that writing is a craft, and like other crafts such as sculpting or cross-stitching, once you get a roughly defined shape (the first draft), you can chisel, nip, or tuck it into a final product that satisfies. I love sculpting with clay and tickling little details into the work. Writing is much the same, only on paper using words and ideas. There is no reason why one should be a chore and the other a joy, except for a difference in perception.

Now, that's all fabulous in my head. When it comes to actually writing though, crafting does take time, and it's not always high on my list of things to do. Then you add the desire to for perfection, which is a deterrent to writing because it feels like work. So I'd put it off. And think about it from time to time, but still put it off. I still have my notes on India sitting in a Google Document file, four months later. But enough is enough. I do want to turn the India experience into a coherent article, so it ain't getting done any time soon. In the mean time, the least I can do is write less sloppy, if not perfect, blog posts.