The Year of Writing
I saw a post on some social media site declaring that this was “The Year of Books.” The poster had decided to read as many books they could over the year, fiction and non, literature and genre. And as much as I love to read, that idea exhausted me. It exhausted me in the way an obligation to eat dessert is after a big meal— especially when a need to cook has been simmering inside of you for too long.
And that’s when I knew this sentiment I’ve been having over the past month or so has been more than just an idea or a new half-baked theory for life. I really need to stop taking in things and begin to start putting stuff out. And in the most basic way. Like, I don’t feel like I need to share my “genius” with the world. I don’t have a special message that humanity must hear. I’m not overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings that absolutely need to be expressed. It’s more like a physical thing. Like a city with too much traffic headed into it, I simply have to get some shit moving in the opposite way. And so, while I’ll continue to read books, no doubt, this year I plan to read fewer of them. Or at least not fixate on how many I read. I want to take my time with them and maybe use them to springboard into writing. Maybe. But maybe not. It’s an option.
In 2022 I caught myself up in a trap. I set my goal for reading too high. Instead of a healthy habit, I turned it into an obsessive game. Like racing to be the first one through a collection of levels on Candy Crush. Or, perhaps more thematically related, doing extra Duo Lingo lessons to stay in the top league. The gamification makes me try harder but only by switching up the reason behind what I’m doing. Suddenly I’m not reading to enrich myself or enjoy the experience, I’m not Candy Crushing to have fun and relax And I’m not Duo Lingering to learn or connect with people. I’m just chasing numbers. Trying to get the highest one while totally missing the point.
And I’m beginning to miss the point of this post, too.
What was the point of this?
To talk about writing! Which is what I’m doing. Both the talking (in the form of writing) and the writing (in order to talk about it).
And I guess that’s it. To paraphrase George Castanza: That’s the post!
You guys like referential humor?
But I suppose I should also mention I’d like to make TIkToks and Youtube videos and start a podcast (and continue to perform stand-up). But it’s all in the same vein: creation over consumption.
Last year my writing goal was to make 50 posts on this website. That was a mistake. The problem, as I see it now, wasn't the number, it was the onus that they all be good. I told myself they didn’t have to be that good, that they were just part of an exercise in order to get good, etc. But it turns out I’m not a great listener. Or I didn’t believe myself. So I got bogged down in quality control and didn’t even make it to 20. And failing a creative goal was not conducive to further creativity.
So this year I want to:
Spend at least an hour a day working on this website.
Write 50 things (completed, unpolished drafts of short stories, essays, or chapters) but not necessarily publish 50 things.
Work on better blog post endings.
