Routine Writing

The desire to write well, the desire to write extraordinarily well can hinder the likelihood of any writing at all. Most writing is going to be mundane, clichéd, substandard, and uninspired. I know that. Consciously I accept that. But when it comes to having the motivation and discipline to write, I stall, avoid, and leave it undone. This is why I need to build the discipline of 20-minute writing sessions, yet again. 20 minutes is possible in almost any circumstance. And I go into it with no expectations except to have the bragging rights that I have written. 

Today's session felt uninspired. I wrote from an artistically done photo of a domestic scene. As you would expect the subject of the writing was a domestic scene about making coffee and a mother cuddling with her son. There was some life in the mother's stream-of-consciousness, but it did not excite me. The words were not fresh or inspired. But it was writing. I was meditating on what that life would be like. Reaching into that environment with my imagination. It was something. 

The downside of 20 minutes is that it's not enough writing time for experiments with saying things in different ways, revising, and rethinking the way I'm putting together words. I will need more time to develop more style and inventiveness again. I need to be thinking ahead to what the goal would be after 20 minutes becomes habit. Thankfully I have a Poetry Retreat coming up next week with poet friends. There I will be able to sink more deeply into the process for a weekend.