Doctorow On Writing

[sun_set_bravely]

"Planning to write is not writing. Outlining, researching, talking to people about what you're doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing...Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

Just a friendly reminder to myself.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Comments

[bleppo.livejournal.com]

I needed that.

Thank you.

[oceanic.livejournal.com]

Mmm, pens.
I guess for me, all that not-writing that I do in advance is like drawing the double yellow line on the road. But sometimes swerving into the other lane and/or completely off the road gets you better stuff anyway...

[freak1c.livejournal.com]

But aren't those things part of it? The research, the outlining - it's all part of the process. At least, for my work it is. I mean, are writing, or photographing, driving, or making contacts with people stand alone events?

This to me would seem to imply that the only way to drive would be straight, when really - isn't stopping, turning, refilling the tank, etc...all a piece of the Driving activity? Without one, can you have the other.

Just questions, I don't really have any answers. Maybe these processes are so different that they cannot be compared.

[oceanic.livejournal.com]

I guess that depends on how much you define driving as a spontaneous, creative activity, rather than a way to get from place to place. For me, it sort of bridges the gap. Analogous to reading a funny, well-written textbook: it gets me where I need to go, but I get to have fun along the way.

What was my original point?

Oh right, I would say that outlining, refilling the tank, etc. are all pauses in or preparations for the act of writing or driving. They're not separate from the task, but they're not the task itself.

[freak1c.livejournal.com]

See that's the thing is: That depends on where you start to define the task. If you look at the task as a means and not an outcome. I think we're talking about Structuralism/Post Structuralism here but I'm not sure.

I don't see driving as an means to the ultimate end of getting to the destination - but as an end in itself. (I could be writing a BMW commercial right now). And similairly...oh hell. I feel my logic crumbling around me.

This is why I love Dialogue! I could be totally off my Ass!

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

Damn you lovely thinkers for having dialogue on my journal while I'm too busy at work to respond!!!!

:)