The State of Having Written

Do you actually like to write? I don’t. I prefer the state of having written. Sure, there are moments when a good idea or phrase comes together. Those moments are enjoyable, but more often than not, I’m uncomfortable during the fingers-on-keyboard-butt-in-the-chair phase of writing. That is, this very moment as I type.

Part of the problem is that I want to edit as I go along. I confess I once spent 1.5 hours on a single sentence. I wanted to move on, but I just couldn’t let go. It was a miserable 1.5 hours. I kept thinking I was close to getting the sentence right, but not quite there.

And I’m critical of writers who expect me to read their rambling, wordy musings. I’m offended that they think their time is too precious to spend editing, but my time is so unimportant that I should be expected to read through their dalliances. Perhaps part of this annoyance comes from the years I suffered through student essays that were hastily written and stretched to hit the required length.

This discomfort with writing contributed to my development of TaleBait. I want to enjoy writing, to have fun, to explore. When I’m not solely responsible and can’t control the outcome, it’s easier to let go. Drop a line and let’s play.