The clock is ticking, the deadline for my article is approaching much faster than anticipated, and I’m sitting here checking Twitter and eating really delicious fudge while staring at a blank word document. Such seems to be my life whenever the weekend rolls around.
I think of myself as a good writer, but the process of getting a piece done is not so good. Typically, it involves a lot of distraction, like texting friends. And eating. And looking at memes. The process turns into procrastination and the eventual panic of my deadline being two hours away and my word document being emptier than a vacuum.
Usually I can’t think of anything to write about. I run through potential ideas in my head and go around the internet, but sometimes I make myself so pressed for time that I push aside anything that would involve any research. I also maintain a list of things I won’t write about, like politics (unless I’m writing about how little attention I give to it).When I do get an idea, then comes the questions of if it’s something I’d be interested in writing about, and if it’s something other people may be interested in reading about.
Finding something that would interest me throws a wrench in the process. It’s important to choose something I’m enthusiastic about so that my writing seems better and purposeful, but it’s not just about my own enjoyment while writing it. The audience matters just as much or even more than my own interest because that’s where I’ll get my satisfaction from, from seeing the amount of page views a piece of mine received, or from receiving comments from readers.
If there was anything I could change about my process though, it would be to stop procrastinating. However, I can’t find a reason to stop if I think it actually helps my writing. While it’s not a good habit to maintain, working under pressure is something I like to do. Physically, it might not look helpful, but mentally, it is.
But even if I do complain about it more often than I should, I still really enjoy writing. I like expressing what I think through writing, and seeing other people read it. Even though I can be a deadline-induced nervous wreck while typing up my piece, I am greatly satisfied when I finish. Writing isn’t a hard process, but the process to get started can be. I hope to get better at it. I want to start and finish my pieces earlier and be more open to broader spectrum of ideas.
While it’s not a main goal of mine, I really hope that others can be inspired to write by looking at the pieces others write. Journaling and recording what one thinks is a good practice of expression, and it can help build up one’s love and motivation for writing. Being able to write is a good skill to have and nurture, and hopefully others will find the same enjoyment and fulfillment as others have by doing so.
