Write On! – On Writing Revisited pt. 3

It didn't take very long for me to get sidetracked on the "monthly scheduled" release of the On Writing revisitation series. I'm about three weeks late for Part 3, BUT that was largely due to some shifting of the Write On! blog to include more informational posts about our pens and to address a huge influx of questions about reviewers. I feel it's only right to return to On Writing now and to take a pause on the "Right Pen" posts, just for a week, so I can sneak in On Writing Revisited pt. 3. If you have been following along so far with this topic, I'm revisiting a series of blog posts I began in 2018, paused after two parts, and then picked back up in 2021 and added five more parts to it. You can read the original On Writing pt. 3 HERE, in which I write about "Where" I find myself writing, from a physical and mental place, but also in terms of my personal emotional and brain space. This is pretty fitting because I've been thinking quite a bit about this topic lately as I've found myself in a similar place to where I was in February of 2021 when I wrote the original post.

The vast majority of my writing takes place either at work or for work on the weekends or when I'm away from the office. I would venture a guess that over 95% of my writing is solely work related. In a slow weeks I'll write about 6,000 words of original content or copy a week that gets published somewhere, and take another 2,000 words of notes or ideas for future content, products, or general ideas. On a busy week, that number jumps up to 10,000 words written and published and 5,000 in the notes. Benchmarks for marketing copywriting and content writing vary largely by industry, but also vastly on which side you're doing, the copywriting or the content writing. Most honest writers will admit to doing about 1,000 words a day for copywriting and good content writers are cranking out 3,000-5,000. Again, that's a decent amount of work related writing, and I find myself not having "anything left in the tank" at the end of the week. That's not saying I don't have a lot of ideas or thoughts bouncing around in my head that I'd like to get down on paper what I lack is the ability to write that stuff down. My ability to continue writing has disappeared at the end of the week.

Which leads me into the mental and emotional "where" of my writing, and it's still very difficult to talk about in a way that makes sense. It's been over four years since the original post on this topic, and while so much has changed it seems like not a lot has changed. I'm in a very dry patch for my personal and emotional writing, and not solely because I'm writing so much for work. Sure managing the content on two websites, a daily newsletters, a weekly blog, and all of the other projects is a LOT, but I still feel the draw to write for my mental well being or because of some emotional need. The desire is still there, the proverbial well has not dried up; but my ability to follow through on putting pen to paper for my own writing is completely absent. Some of this is due to a lack of focus. I'm mentally drained at the end of the day, and on the weekends I'm trying to recharge while also getting chores done, prepping meals, seeing friends or family, and working some. I don't often find myself in a mental state that allows me to focus on writing for my own needs. There is a disconnect that I can't bridge, and it's been there for over a year now.

When I do get some personal content on the page, it's very scattered and not as coherent as I'd like it to be. It's often a few notes on a work of fiction followed by some a couple lines of poetry, and then maybe a paragraph or two on my thoughts from a blog I've read or podcast I listened to. Longer form personal writing seems as daunting as a task as summiting Mount Everest or building a rocket ship in my backyard. It's such a fanciful notion at this point that I find it hard to even contemplate filling several pages of my own personal content. Which is both frustrating and disheartening. I know I'm a better writer for work when I'm writing a lot of personal content. My most creative moments at work with product design or content creation have been during periods of extremely prolific personal writing. The "practice" of writing has my brain limber and ready to create content at a moments notice.

Knowing all of this, what's the answer? I'm not sure I have one specific answer. This is an opportunity to sit and contemplate how others feel when they want to write, and can't. I'm not always the best person to provide advice on writing, I strive to always contemplate where I'm at from the perspective of a writer. I think knowing my current "place" is helpful. It's grounding to know where I'm at even if I'm not happy about being in that place. Right now, I know I'm in an extended dry period where my personal writing is concerned. I won't mince words, it's not a dry period, it's a full on drought. I also know some of the causes for this drought. My life is very busy, and quite stressful right now; two things that always negatively impact my creativity. I think I've lost a little bit of mental muscle tone which could be from age or from overall lack of use outside of work content. I know I don't sleep nearly as well as I should. I'm not as healthy as I need to be, and that all impacts my writing. I could benefit from some daily physical exercise to reduce my stress and increase overall health. Having said all of that, I don't think I'm stuck in this current "where" of my writing; rather I have the tools to blaze a trail out of this desert I'm stuck in.

Hopefully, you're not in a similar place. I know it can be daunting and defeating to be in a place where the words are stuck inside you and won't come out. Or maybe the words aren't even showing up for you at all. I've been there too. I understand that struggles of being someone who thinks of themselves as a writer but can't write. If you're in that place, here are a few things I've done to move me from the desert back onto the path. Try writing in a different format. Give poetry a whirl, write a letter, review a movie or tv show, write a response to a YouTube video, come up with an idea for a blog, write your thoughts on a historical fact of the week; find a type of writing that you're not well versed in, and write in that format. This has often helped me when I've found myself lacking in creativity. If you're in a place similar to my current "where", try some of the non-writing things I'll be adopting to help revitalize my brain. I'm going to get back on my Nordictrack station cycle and back into meditation. Both of these practices help me bring my mind and body together and have provided more "wholeness". Finally, I'm going to be seeking out something that brings be joy. As a pretty stoic person, this is probably the hardest task I'm setting myself, but may also be the most helpful. I understand the importance of joy in the process of creation, and over the past several years joy has been disappearing from my life. Identifying why that is and how to get it back will be one of the things I do in an effort to offset my current writing drought.

I hope the "where" of my current writing journey is helpful for you. It can be very difficult to be this open, but my goal is to be informational and helpful with the content of this blog. This isn't just a market place rather this part of our page is a more personal experience intended to help our readers better use our products. Personally, I think this type of vulnerability and openness on this topic might help anyone who wants to write more; it's my hope you find it helpful on your own personal writing journey.