I'm not sure if I will end up continuing this series of titles but this type seems to work the best for what the post is about. Perhaps as time goes on I will have exhausted the resources of the clever little word "on". Until then I plug on. :D (no pun intended)
There certainly is something to be said not just for starting a major project... which is what I consider this (a lifestyle project if you would)... but also for continuing. As I approach the New Year this seems a fitting topic to be dealing with. Many people make large New Year's resolutions... or at least resolutions that they have no hope of keeping throughout the entire year. I don't think that people realize just how long a year is.
I certainly didn't.
Last year at this time I joined a year long writing support group I guess you could say and determined to write 250k in a year. As I discovered... that's the easy part. I wrote my 250k + words in probably what would amount to six months solid work. I spread it out over the year of course.
I say that to say (getting back to my original direction for the post) that New Years Resolutions/continuing a long-term project/goal is more difficult than it looks. I intended to make myself a "writer" by devoting so much time to actual writing. I certainly put myself on the path but because of my time limitations I did not really go any farther than that first step or two.
Becoming something different than one is certainly has its challenges. I think that I've always been a writer but now I am honing my skills and working towards a more definable goal.
Keeping up the routine that I have set for myself is a difficult task. I let myself get swallowed up with work and reading all of the books that I put on my to do list as well. I often find it much easier to open a good (or sometimes not so good) book and rest on the laurels of someone else that has had to do the hard work.
Does this seem like rambling to anyone else? I most likely am rambling but I think there is a discernable path through the woods.
P.S. Can anyone help me find a better word (or at least some alternatives) to seem? I "seem" to be using that word a lot in my writing. thanks!
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2 comments:
Personally, I like it when people ramble on through their thought processes - it's interesting reading! And when I go back and read some of my old blog posts that I've saved over the years, I gain far more insight from the long, rambling posts than the short or frivolous ones. So ramble on! :)
I think it's admirable that you want to learn/improve your skills to begin with. I don't think I could say the same of most of my peers at Auburn - outside of design, their chosen profession, they had few, if any, productive interests or hobbies. It's too much work for a lot of people our age; to be proficient at some skill takes time and effort. And besides, who in our society wants to be simply proficient? If you're going to do something, you have to be the best, be the master, be absolutely perfect. And that is rarely attainable - the whole point of having an avocation is to continue to learn and perfect your skill, and everyone has to go through times when they don't know enough to accomplish a certain goal. Most people hate that...they want to be brilliant at it, and they want to be brilliant right now, no work required.
I believe that writing is a more difficult craft to master than knitting, so you may not get this as often, but when people say "Oh, I wish I could knit! But I could never do it; it's too hard." I get so annoyed. Sure, there are tricky techniques, but any idiot can pick up two sticks and a string; it's simply a matter of practice and determination! But they don't want to hear that, of course.
I'm afraid I can't help with the "seem" thing - the only analogous expression I can think of is "appear(s) to be" which is a lot more awkward. "Seem" doesn't seem to bother me all that much. ;)
Hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Thanks for such a long comment! I love those. :D
I think people treat writing the opposite way. They say... oh when I retire I might write a book... as if it was as easy as making a cup of coffee.
hah! if only they knew :D
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