Everyday Canvas

Writing Begets Writing

Prompt: "There is so much about the process of writing that is mysterious to me but this one thing I've found to be true: writing begets writing." Dorianne Laux
Do you think this is true about writing?

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Absolutely! It is especially true about writing. For one thing: We, writers, are never bored because through writing, which means also reading, we are already dealing with subjects more exciting, more interesting, and more unthinkable than we might otherwise fathom. Even if bored, we can write about our boredom if nothing else jumps to our minds. Through writing regularly, we get into the habit of working with what is given, what is available, or what can be explored further.

We, writers, write anyway, whether we are stuck, whether we think we are writing badly, whether we have relationship problems in real life. We know how to burden our characters with our very own problems and feelings and get away with it; that is, we can always shrug and say, “it was just fiction,” without attracting attention to ourselves or making anyone else angry. Through writing, we also examine our own perspective and feelings in a deeper fashion, and if any ugliness exists somewhere we manage to move past it more quickly than a non-writer possibly can.

We, writers, also write about what we see around us, inside our own heads or imaginations, or what we read in the news. If a writer says he or she is blocked, to me, it means he or she isn’t seeing what is in front of him. For example, I can fill volumes just describing the objects inside the room I am in now plus the impressions and stories they bring to my mind. It would not be the best writing in the world, but it would fulfill the needs of my writing obsession, wouldn’t it?