Monday, March 21, 2016

Writing ain't that hard, son!

I just finished reading this book called Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. A somewhat famous blogger and mental illness sufferer. Overall, it was an entertaining book but I'd also have to say it was nothing special. I mean that in the nicest way possible. I read it, I enjoyed it, but I don't know that I'd ever read it again.

But, here's what struck me. While it was entertaining, the writing is not that dissimilar from my own writing. So why does this lady have a book published? Two of 'em, actually! Why does this lady get to make a living off of doing cool shit and writing non-sensical short essays and calling them chapters? I can do that too. I can fucking do that!

The catch is, I guess, I don't have any diagnosed mental illnesses. Which seems like a really weird thing to be complaining about. But, because I'm not diagnosed with anything and I'm not on a million meds, I'm far less interesting. I also don't seem to rush to write down ever somewhat whimsical or quirky experience i have. Maybe I really should start doing that. The thing is, even when I'm doing this writing I look back and see how many times I write "I" and think, "Who the fuck gives a shit about me this much? Goddamn and I a narcissist or something?". Maybe to be a blogger you have to be to some extent.

You've also got to not give a fuck on sharing shit about people that might, potentially, read what you write. I don't really interact with enough strangers to have material to write about them, so the folks that would end up here are also my potential audience. Then I'd start to piss those folks off with my (now expressed) inner dialogue and lose readership. It'd be fine at first, but then once they all dwindled down there'd be nothing left and I'd be forced to make new friends to write about and shortly dwindle down to nothing only to have to start all over again and again and again like some weird vicious cycle.

My writing has a ways to go, I realize that. I'd argue the same for a lot of these bloggers that have published books though. We're, for now, ignoring the fact that I am certain I'm the only person that reads my blog, though, that is. Jesus, I guess that'd be a good start to getting somewhere with this thing first too... getting some actual readers. Sounds like a thought.

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