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February 06, 2006
My Writing “Process”
When writers are interviewed, they often end up talking about their writing process. They usually sound so industrious and hard-working, willing to suffer for their art. They get up at 4:00 in the morning every day and write for two solid hours in their unheated offices before they go out for a jog and then proceed on to whatever upstanding thing they do full-time to really make money.
Not me.
The thing about my writing process is I have no process. It’s true that I write every day, but there’s no pattern. I write whenever I’m in the mood to write, generally in the evenings – but not always. I usually work at the computer. Sometimes I prefer the PC upstairs, sometimes the laptop downstairs. Sometimes I still write longhand in notebooks. Sometimes I write on scraps of paper I find around. Some days I write for fifteen minutes; some days I write for hours. Sometimes I write good stuff; sometimes I write total crap.
And of course I have no freaking idea where any of it comes from.
For instance, Queen Amidala’s Diary? One day I was sitting here writing a review or something, and it was like the Queen started talking to me in Bridget Jones’ voice. What could I do? I wrote down what she had to say. Which leads me to the only thing I know about writing: if you write enough, something decent’s bound to pop out eventually. Decent enough for watat.com, at any rate.
Posted by adrienne at February 6, 2006 10:34 PM
Comments
I use to write all the time too. Then HE came, and now I hardly have any time to write anymore. There are times that I really had more time to sit and write. Anything. I have a notebook in my purse, a journal next to my bed, there are computers in every room of the house. And yet, there is never time. I get depressed... until Jack crawls right to me, holds up his arms and smiles his cute baby smile. I still yearn to write though.
Posted by: Cathy at February 6, 2006 11:02 PM
is that why there is writing on all the rolls of bath tissue?????? and of course I live my life with no process!!@$%&*%!@#!!$$!^$
Posted by: the dad at February 7, 2006 12:24 AM
I'm waiting for a guest essay by Ella Bean.
Posted by: Heidi at February 7, 2006 05:57 AM
I hate to think what she'd have to say about my writing process....
Posted by: adrienne at February 7, 2006 09:49 AM
I shudder to think what would happen if we applied your theory of writing to having children, "have enough and you'll pop out a decent one eventually."
I myself am not a real "writer" but I find I write much more in times of emotional stress, if you read my high school journal you would think my brother was evil incarnate and that I loathed him, he is sort of evil and I only loathed him at times, most of his senior year actually. I also have entries right after both Lucas and Max were born but they tend to stop when the sleep deprivation set in (about a week later). I guess I'm more of a reader.
Posted by: tonderdo at February 7, 2006 01:36 PM
When did you change the comment page?
Posted by: tonderdo at February 7, 2006 07:45 PM
DUDE! That was AGES ago, more than a month. Maybe two.
Posted by: adrienne at February 7, 2006 08:55 PM
I envy anyone with any kind of writing process at all. I'm the worst kind of writer - I completely enjoy it, but never seem to make the time for it. I guess I figure if I can't write a masterpiece, I won't bother at all. I know this is terrible and I should make time for it no matter what - even if it's crap, but I just don't.
I also can't stand writing with anyone around me, so with a needy five year-old and even needier 40 year old at home, I rarely find the space.
Posted by: JJ at February 8, 2006 11:57 AM
Does it still say you're my new best friend, has the lack of sleep really killed all of my short term memory cells?
Posted by: tonderdo at February 8, 2006 03:43 PM
Ha, it does not say you're my new best friend so I am not crazy. Did you really change it again more than a month ago? I am going to use Max as an excuse.
Posted by: tonderdo at February 8, 2006 03:45 PM
Tam, Yes, I really did. I'll be sure to remind Max how you were blaming things on him when he wasn't even two months old.
JJ, I have a hard time writing if I have any thought that anyone might start reading over my shoulder. I'm really weird about that sort of thing. So demanding people in my house would probably derail me, too. I just have demanding cats.
Posted by: adrienne at February 8, 2006 10:50 PM
Yes, Tammy. It's been changed for a long, long time. : )
Posted by: JJ at February 9, 2006 07:12 AM