Saturday Night Social: Writing

For the next few months I won’t be doing anything too exciting on Saturday night (or really any other night), so I figure I would just use my time to write a few rants. Nothing that’s totally negative. Maybe I should really call them ramblings. It will be about random things that catch my attention and cause me to stop and think. There are a few things that have really got me to thinking and all I do is just jot notes down and nothing comes from it.

So for this week’s ramble, I am going to write about writing. Is that what meta is about? I don’t know- I don’t think I get the concept of meta. Anyway, I find it amazing that there are people out there who can churn out pieces of writing as if it were just like breathing. How do these people do it?

I follow a few people on Medium and they churn out articles every few days. Are they good articles? Yeah, for the most part. I mean, they seem okay and decent. It gets me to thinking a bunch and I think of all these. How do they get their word count? Do they not struggle with coming up with content? Where do they find the time? Do they have "real" jobs or is writing their job? How do they not agonize over every word? Do they not really care about what they write? Do they write for the sake of writing?

These are the things I struggle with. I struggle to find meaningful content; content that I want to write about and I think people would want to read. I agonize over how and what I write. I wonder if people think my writing is worthwhile. Maybe I shouldn't worry so much about these things and just write. Isn't that what all the books about writing say? I should just listen to Nike and "just do it."

I do think a lot of my reluctance to publish random blogs/articles comes from my need for perfection. I do agonize over word choice, agonize over the topic. I care about what I put out in the universe. I don't want to contribute to all the negativity out there. When you read articles, it's always about changing yourself and all the bad things in the world like why you can't trust white heterosexual men. (You really can't, trust me.) I don't want to just add to that...so what do I want to add?

Hmm. Maybe this could be something I work on. Not worrying about my writing too much and just hit publish after I come up with some post. Maybe learn to lighten up with writing. Maybe not take myself so serious.

I think about the authors of multiple blog posts in a short period of time and I have to ask myself "do I think their writing and their articles are quality?" Those shorter ones are not the greatest; they are a good read but I noticed that these authors keep to the same topic with a different point of view and they are formulaic. Their articles have the what seems like the mandatory list of three, five, or ten points they want to get across. AND they really list them out.

Okay. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna write just to write. Be a little more open. Be a little more vulnerable. I may not put out much quality work but at least something will come out. Maybe Linda Belcher is right..."You don't have to be good, you just have to be fast."