‘Z’ featured front and centre yesterday, and I have concluded that – whether or not it’s something the story has a long-term future – it’s just nice to be writing.
I am aware that sounds a little twee, but I think we can get so wrapped up in the process, the desire to hit deadlines, the ambition of it all, that we forget there is something joyous in simply sitting down and writing.
At least that’s my view.
And it’s uplifting and encouraging too; recognising how lucky one is to be able to write helps take some of the pressure off. Thus, when during the afternoon I worked on a couple of short stories for entry into competitions, I was doing so with a slightly more positive cadence; not from the perspective of expecting to win, but rather of simply being in a position to enter at all.
In the morning I attended a Society of Authors’ event about ‘wellness’ for writers. The things you would expect to come up did: diet, exercise, sleep etc. There was also a suggestion that we should compile a list of things that gave us joy outside of writing. I don’t know if that was the trigger which allowed me to make the connection between writing and joy, but it found its way into my consciousness somehow. (Note: of 35 attendees on the event, only 3 were men. You can draw your own conclusions.)
So, a little more ‘joy’ today? I expect so. I have some errands to run this morning and there are some other things I want to do this afternoon, but I’m sure I’ll slot some in somewhere.
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Ian Gouge - Writer 