Assignment: Write a post involving a recipe or a process, but try to infuse the post with your personality or thoughts. Don’t over think this one. Brushing your teeth, cooking macaroni and cheese, and grocery shopping are all seemingly mundane processes, but they are intriguing when we see them from your perspective. Word to the wise, steer clear of the “and then I” syndrome.
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Chances are that if your busyness is similar to mine, then writing a blog post on any subject often takes some crafting. Especially if you’re wanting to sound awake, let alone intelligent. I wish that the process were as simple as this:
Write great post. No need to search for inspiration because it’s always around. Publish. Sit back and repeat.
But that’s so far removed from my reality. Instead it’s more like this:
Play “hide & seek” with inspiration. My best thought seem to happen late at night, when I’m already in bed or in the shower—times when I’m unable to jot them down right then. So they get filed in that bottomless abyss of my mind, hoping to maybe remember it. If I’m lucky, I’ll recall it next week; it certainly won’t come to me the next day, when I need it.
Think hard for a new topic. Can’t write a post about nothing.
Sit down to write the post. Throw in adjective and descriptive words. Work at dressing up the scenario, even though it occurred in the barest manner. Thinking mostly of the imaginary throngs of readers, I embellish a wee bit. While it’s now sounding pretty, I add in a bit of forced humour. My head tells me the lie that this story can’t be as valuable without effort.
Get stuck at the conclusion. Sip some water, as I stall for more inspiration. I begin the rereading process, even though the post isn’t yet complete. Misspelled words and simple grammar errors get corrected. On the third read through, I’m now listening to my words, the flow.
Realize that I don’t like this post and that it’s totally not me. In fact, it’d be shameful to click the “publish” button. Think about what’s missing. How to make it me, and not just writing something to say that I wrote something.
Pray. Shake my head at myself for forgetting something so simple, yet so necessary for me. I believe that God has blessed me with the talent of writing, so I look to His guidance for anything I write. After a brief chat, I head back to the computer.
I delete everything I’d just written and start with a blank slate. Keeping the same topic, I write from a new perspective. I tell the story just as it happened, without deliberate embellishments. As I think back over the moment, I remember how I felt during that experience. This time, the words just flow like a zen fountain. Fingers flit across the keys, barely keeping up with the thoughts in my mind.
I reread. This time, errors are minimal, and it all sounds good.
Click “publish” quickly, before doubts settles in. It’s done. Posted.
And I do it all again the next day.