Monday, March 31, 2008

On Blogging

When I started to blog, I promised myself that I would do at least three to four of them a week. That number didn’t sound too intimidating. I mean how hard could it be to write about your day, or your family, or your work? Well, I’m finding it really hard – much harder than I thought it would be!

I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that I never kept a diary as a young girl, or even as a teenager. I was never even a little bit tempted to pour my heart out on paper. For one thing I can’t write fast enough with a pen or pencil to keep up with my thoughts (I can barely do it on a keyboard!) For some reason it makes me really nervous to try. I’m a Gemini (the twins!) and my mind tends to take off in several different directions at once. Which one should I follow?

And when I was a kid just the idea of committing my deepest thoughts to writing gave me cold chills! What if someone found them? What if my MOTHER read them? YIKES!!

So, nothing much has changed now that I’m an adult, a mother and a grandmother. I still find it really hard to write what essentially amounts to a diary. Moreover, a diary sent out into cyberspace for the world to read! Very scary. While I want to be honest about what I write, it’s hard for me to share that much of myself. Maybe I still care too much about what other people think of me. I thought I’d gotten beyond that, but if I have, why is it so hard for me to put my feelings on paper?

In the end, though, maybe this is a good exercise for me – good for me to open up more and share some of my experiences, both in life and in my work. Maybe that’s why I became a novelist in the first place – so I could express all those thoughts and emotions through my characters. No wonder I love my job!

Anyway, a promise is a promise, even one made to yourself. Come hell or high water, I’m going to keep writing these blogs, even if it kills me.

Do any of you other bloggers feel this way? Or is it just me?

2 Comments:

Blogger photoquest said...

Shirley good morning to you I am re typing my comment i thought i had signed up already so here goes again. I use to hate to use the computer but have discovered the many people you reach this way, I assure your blogging issues will come to pass the more you do it and you may even find you enjoy it. Funny reading your blog this morning i think it has come to me of why i can't be a writter. I just picked up reading 1 1/2 year ago and found i am highly addicted to this, i have always been very creative and a head full of imagination why can't i put this to paper? I acquire serious A.D.D. just thinking of wanting to write a book one day. When i was growing up i use to put to many of my feelings on paper usually when i had been mad at my mother and somehow she always found them (go figure) and in school as well passing notes in class teacher would always seem to read these, so for me putting words on paper have always gotten me in trouble so i think i have discovered why i was not meant to be a writter and should be content being a reader LOL !!! you hang in there Shirley, wonderful blog this morning you have fun with it other's will too.

April 1, 2008 at 5:22 AM  
Blogger mary said...

Shirley,

I am so glad to hear that you have the same problem as I, collecting books. God, I love each of mine and will not part with any. Guess, my husband's lucky that he can still get his computer.

Hugs,
Mary Woodruff, Author

March 13, 2009 at 4:38 PM  

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