Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art and Writing

Circular cyclical self-feeding writing? Just write instead.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

We're supposed to write about writing, that's the latest writing group assignment from last Saturday's meeting, the first I've been back to in two months.

As you may have noticed by the long silence on this blog, I've become silent on my art and writing. Perhaps it's the warm weather and chance to be outside, or the other crafts and activities and odd jobs I've been picking up that have kept me off of this blog.

I've been writing, mind you, writing up a storm. Most of it is on my other blog. This is not one of those irritating moments when people spend ten minutes telling everyone why the couldn't write despite still considering themselves part of a writers' group. No, I've been writing as much or more as ever. But writing for writers' group - even just plain making it to group meetings - that's been a true battle of many reasons. But like Katherine Hepburn said: Never explain yourself.

And now, in 500 words or less, I need to write about writing. That's our latest assignment.

It's like this Escher image, a drawing about drawing; it boggles my mind. The shelves at large bookstores are packed with writers talking about writing, telling me how I should go about it and what it's like to be a writer. I was building up a rather tidy collection of writing-related books.

And then all stop.

I just wanted to write. I didn't want to hear how I should or shouldn't, what kinds of things to watch out for and what kinds of things to include. I didn't want to be told how to keep a journal correctly, what kinds of journals to keep, and to support writers who were eating off of other writers. All stop. No more dog chasing its own tail.

This assignment is most likely going to bring out the brash Julie I know, the Julie who heard the 500 words or less limit during the last meeting and blurted out that I could write all I need to know about writing in six words or less.

Pick up your pencil. Now write.

What else is there, really?

I'm going to go do that now. Do you write? Then you are a writer. Go be a writer.