It has been more than a minute since visiting my blog. Life has a habit of getting in the way of writing, and activism, (Palestine and Gaza) has taken, (without regret) a larger slice of my time. However, after the winter solstice and as the turn of the year approaches, my thoughts return to writing, poetry, and my fellow creatives in the virtual world. I searched for articles and writers who wrote about writing, and there are many.
This one made me smile, and even laugh out loud. I am unable to add it here, so I will share the title, author and year.
‘Five top tips for writing for your own enjoyment‘ by Tse Hao Guang (謝皓光) posted 19 September 2023 on the National Centre for Writing website. I would encourage you to find and read this article. However, I will list his five tips:
1. Don’t be afraid to be alone
2. Allow yourself to be surprised
3. Waste a lot of time
‘Read a lot, even if it’s not literary. Read slowly and over and over again. Drop a book halfway if you want. Let your writer’s block block you because writer’s block is your mind telling you to rest. Don’t rush to write or publish or make a name for yourself. Sleep in. Don’t let even poetry be simply another credential or commodity. We live in an age where everything in us is squeezed out for use and I think the best way to resist that is to waste some time’.
4. Hang on to every word
5. Always ask yourself if you’re having fun
‘We know it’s never constantly fun (sometimes, quite the opposite!). But if you’re consistently not enjoying yourself in one way or another, then what are you writing for?‘
Take the tips as you will. For me, five is the most pertinent, closely followed by three. However, my interpretation of point three is that a creative doesn’t have to be in constant production mode. Creativity requires the time it takes. However, commitment is necessary. Which is why point five resonates, if you cannot find the joy in writing, how will you generate the commitment, and really why are you writing?
Maybe there is another creative medium that calls you at this time. Maybe writing can be a good friend, one you can lose touch with and return to; what do you think? I feel though, that if a writer does pull away from the page, for whatever reason, that she try to keep the golden thread to words by reading.
These are thoughts that I like to turn over, and I would be interested to know yours.
Bonnie Braw Press 