How Not To Write

How would you complete this sentence:

Writing is...

When I asked this question on Twitter, I received many wonderful responses. I've shared those below and I would encourage you to add your own thoughts in the comments.

As for my own reply, I went off rummaging in my journals for something suitable and found that I'd struggled with this for a long time. There are times when I take a very dim view on the subject... I write very angry words, I despair. Then, the pendulum swings the other direction and I soar to great heights... I write glowing, teary-eyed monologues. I write dreamy, looping sentences that flow on and on like, well, one might say waves but then that would be trite, so instead we should find some unique fluidic metaphor or perhaps revise and remove the word 'flow' altogether and search for some other way to bring the thought to a close....

And then there are times when I toss my hands up in the air and say, "Screw it."

I have to admit that I really do like the last one. I find that once I've discarded the metaphysics I usually write something worthwhile. Of course, this whole digression is a wonderful way for me to avoid answering the question.

Yet... a reply must come.

Now that I've written enough to make the reader forget what I was talking about in the first place any reply I might give will surely be unsatisfactory or at best mediocre. I might have to write ten clever sentences now, but then if I manage to write something really good will I detract from all the fine replies given at the end?

Can there be a successful exit from this post?

This really isn't all that different from the kind of thinking that dogs me while writing a story, and that might explain why I'm still writing about Not Writing after all of these years. It might explain why I often feel that writing is a confusing art which has all the appeal of punching butterflies on a perfect summer day.

The Replies

• uppington Writing is like trying to dig the grand canyon with a teaspoon #writingis
• ditty1013 Writing is what I'm supposed to be doing right now, but instead I'm replying to your tweet!
• brendacooper writing is joy. #writingis
• StacyWrites Writing is a bright sunny day without the sunburn. #writingis
• rgouldtx Writing is - opening a vein and pouring yourself out on the page (can't remember who said.) #writingis
• rgouldtx Writing is - having your characters run away with the story.
• JennyPennifer Writing is exquisite therapy!
• Jimthomsen hard. Except when it's incredibly easy. And exhausting. Except when it's completely exhilarating.
• coffeesister #writingis the most evocative expression of self that, when done well, prompts the expression of others'
• spitkitten Writing is curse and salvation--sometimes coarse and salivation. #writingis
• nedrie Writing is not sleeping. #writingis
• littlefluffycat Writing is my mind flowing out my fingers.
• hostageOreality"Writing is..." something I wish I could do, but can't seem to do well #writingis
• gaughanj Writing is easier when you're miserable. Writing is my abandoned child. And writing is coping with those things. #writingis
• DLDzioba #writingis Writing is the great escape. Writing is the ability to be a god. Writing is amazingly fun.
• clairethomey Writing is going to eat my soul one day if I never finish anything I start!!
• Lodewijkvdb Writing is letting the ink run freely on the paper so it can tell you things you hadn't discovered yet.
• sascomeditor writing is never quite what you had expected it to be when first sitting down to write. #writingis
• raincoaster "Writing is... not free!" I did a blog post on that recently: #writingis http://twurl.nl/di4jt0
• baldeagle "Writing is escape." #writingis

Thanks to all the writers who played along! Don't forget to share your answer in the comments!

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