On Being a Writer

Here's something I wrote at Magelby's Take-out the other day:

Here's a quote to chew on: "Non-writers talk about writing. Writers write." I fear that I've been a non-writer for much to long. Of course, this leads me to another quote: "Typists pound keyboards. Writers stare out windows." I think I can safely say that I'm more of a stare-out-the-window wrtier than a get-the-words-on-a-page writer, which is really where the problem is. Despite having ideas, despite the longing I have to write, I still manage to spend a whole heck of a lot of time away from my keyboard. About the only time I've made any significant venture into the writing world is when I'm sitting at a local restaurant, waiting for my food to be brought to me, and I realize that I haven't brought a book in with me. So, to use up the seven or eight minutes that I'm waiting, I whip out a paper and pen and jot down something.

But then, as they say, something is better than nothing, and I suppose that it's better to jot down a few words while waiting for Chicken Parmesan with marinara sauce (mmm...) than to spend the time counting all my credit cards (2).

Maybe my New Year's Resolution List will go something like this:

1. I will write at least 200 words per day on any subject whatsoever
2. I will write at least 1000 words per week on my novel
3. I will reveal to at least 2 people per month that I'm working on a novel, in order to promote it before its impending publication
4. I will laugh at myself at least 3 times a day for having the hubris to think that I'll ever be published
5. I will chastise myself severely after each laughing session for being so mean to myself.

Er. That doesn't make much sense. And, it's not very funny. But hey, if you've come here to be entertained, you've come to the wrong place. This is just me, trying to work out how to do stuff and not go crazy. And you can take that and chew on it for awhile.

Here's a picture. Enjoy.