A New Commitment

Ok, so the last time we visited, I spoke about honoring my dream and doing some serious writing. That’s what I’m going to do. But a little bit about why I haven’t, to this date, really seriously done it.

By far, the biggest reason is simply because I don’t know what to write. I’m one of those people that sit and wait for inspiration to strike. Then I’ll sit down and hammer away for an hour or two until I think it’s done. Sort of.

I’m rarely ever satisfied with the finished product. I always feel as if there is a better way to say what I’ve said. I stop and wonder if I really clarified everything thoroughly enough. That, dear friends is the second reason I tend not to write.

Even as I type this, I’m wondering if I said enough. If it’s clear. If I got my point across. Call it my OCD. In fact, I tend to ramble on and on trying to make it better and somewhere in the process I completely lose the point myself. It just proves the point that this writer’s worst critic is himself.

Alright, so what do I do about it? The first step is to realize that I don’t have to have something to say. That’s difficult for me as I tend to be a very quiet person unless I have something to say. Then, to the detriment of those around me, I get rather vocal.

Last week, I started my ENG 1A class at the college. Part of the class will doing Freewriting for ten minutes during each class period. For those of you that don’t know what that is, it’s simply writing, non-stop, for that time. It doesn’t matter what you write, so long as you keep putting something on the paper.

This is a reintroduction for me. I had to freewrite for one of my classes in high school. I absolutely abhorred it. Again, because I didn’t know what to say. I’m beginning to understand the concept of just doing it and not worrying about what comes out. So long as something is there at the end of it.

The purpose of the freewriting is basically just to get things going. To start the engine. To get things spinning. To get the juices flowing.

In my endeavor to follow my dream, I’m going to try to embrace this theory as best as I can. Not only in the class, but also in my day to day life. In addition to the writing in class, I’m going to do my best to make three or four blog entries every week. Even if this means I have to freewrite just to get something there because I don’t know what to say.

Hopefully, this will not only give me better ideas but also allow me to learn to express myself more clearly with less rambling…and far less anxiety. Wish me well and feel free to tell me how I’m doing with the clarity.