Y’know, I suck at this

Writing, I mean. Since a couple years ago when I first started blogging, I’ve become less and less capable of maintaining any kind of rhythm or momentum in my writing. I used to be able to sit down and write for ten hours straight with the barest hint of an idea. Now I can’t maintain a simple blog for more than two weeks.

I have a good idea why, actually. I feel as if I am never writing anything original. Fiction, blogging, whatever, there is very little unique I feel I have to offer the world of the written word. It is especially problematic in my fiction, because I have a great memory and I find myself stealing elements from other stories I’ve read and enjoyed without meaning to.

I don’t know how to combat that. On the one hand, I realize that truly unique work is very rare. All writers start somewhere–they build on the works of writers before them.

It’s interesting to see where the creative energy of a writer goes. Some focus on showing a rich, detailed and original world–see Tolkien. Holy crap that guy just loves to paint pictures with words, unfortunately in far too much detail. I found it distracting; it made LOTR unreadable for me until the movies came out, and even then I never finished Return of the King. He got it right with the Hobbit, however.

On the other hand, some focus on a societal message, only painting enough background to fill out the world, not overwhelming the reader with so much detail that the message is lost. You can do both, as is necessary in the morality tale type story children read. Your world needs to be interesting and well described to hold their attention and imagination, but not so much that it interferes with the underlying message.

Robert Anson Heinlein is one of my favorite writers. One technique I especially like is his exploration of complicated subjects in dialogue between his protagonist in the first person and a supporting character, typically more intelligent or well versed in the subject, so that he doesn’t have to go on tangents to make his point. Nothing helps wreck suspension of disbelief like having to flip to the appendix or take a step away from the plot for an explanation.

But I’m getting off on a tangent. I guess I’ve never really had a solid writing technique when it comes to fiction. Nonfiction? Sure. I’m years out of practice but I was a master of essays and research papers in school. I’m fairly skilled at, shall we say, dumbing down complex ideas without sounding like a condescending prick. Fiction is my weakness.

But it’s what I want to write. I enjoy writing in a blog format or writing semi-technical articles, essays, and so on… but what I really want is to create a rich world of my own, where my imagination can come to life.

If you asked me what my dream was, it would be living in the mountains of the northeast in a snowbound cabin, writing stories in front of the fire. That’s what I want.

Normally, I would say ‘But I have a plan!’ and dazzle you with how I intend to break this writer’s block. Unfortunately I have nothing to offer you there. Since I just had knee surgery, I spend all my time on my computer in bed, so I have no excuse not to write. I’m just going to make a serious effort from now on to write at least two thousand words a day about anything. Most of it will be here.