Writing and Ideas

I've been reading less lately and consequently, writing less. You can tell the difference between a serious writer (even if unpublished) and a mere dilettante by asking them what they are reading. Serious writers are always reading; would-be writers "don't have the time" or "want to remain pure" or some-such crap like that. Reading fuels writing, even if what you're reading are the early drafts of your own works as you furiously edit them.

Another thing about writing is that many people want to do it, but they project doing it "someday" or "when I have time." Fact is, you always have time to write, just as you always have time to fire-bomb City Hall. It boils down to a matter of choice. Somerset Maugham said it best: "If you are waiting to write, you are a waiter, not a writer."

Some people ask Me where I get My ideas. I tell them "Wal-mart", or if I'm in a snarky mood, "Condom World." It's a dumb question because there's only one source for ideas--the mind--and you get ideas because you want to get ideas. That applies to any endeavor, from business to arts. My deficiency here (if it can be called that) is that I don't use alcohol or drugs to "free My creative mind." There's long been a connection between creativity and substance abuse, often to the detriment of the artist. In My case, I guess I work on the opposite manner: My mind runs free and I rein it in most of the time. 

If I were to break down My thoughts re: expressing them, I figure they break down about like this:

A) Stuff no one ever wants to hear -- 15%

B) Stuff that would wreck My reputation (such as it is): -- 10%

C) Gross stuff -- 15%

D) Witty-but-awful stuff -- 20%

E) Witty-and-snarky stuff -- 20%

F) Cogent observations on Life and stuff -- 30%

G) Silly stuff -- 20%

H) Brilliant stuff -- 35%

I) Filler stuff -- 15%

J) Polite nothings that sound like good stuff -- 10%

K) Weird, weird, weird stuff -- 15%

L) Logical stuff that deadends in just logic -- 15%

M) Blogging ideas stuff -- 45%

N) Blogging stuff I write about -- 1%

Categories add up to over 100% because they do.

The Jenius Has Spoken.