I’ll admit that I’ve procrastinated in writing this, my first WOW! blog, as I wondered what I could say as a writer. I began to really get worked up and poured through old blog posts in an effort to make sure I did not duplicate a topic covered once before. (And let me tell you, a lot has been covered!). So, what could I possibly say that hasn’t been said before? I lay in bed last night wondering this and came up with one answer: It’s all been said.
I froze.
Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! If it’s all been said, then what on Earth am I going to write about? Have women everywhere come to this realization as I have? What will we do now that the job is done?
Panic started to set in.
“Okay, get a hold of yourself,” I began to mutter. There must be SOMETHING that hasn’t been voiced. There is undoubtedly something that hasn’t been tapped at this point. Think, think, think. And in that moment, the floodgates opened.
No, a golden pen didn’t fall from the sky. No, the lexicon of all lexicons didn’t mysteriously appear next to my MacBook. No, Julia Cameron didn’t show up at my front door to reveal the Zen filled wisdom within morning pages.
I realized that everything I have to say is new. No one anywhere has said exactly what I have in the way that only I can express my thoughts in words. It’s all new. Every single one of us offers a fresh voice to every topic and that is an exciting thought. No ground is off limits; as long as is it new to me, it’s uncharted territory.
And you? What is it that you have to say?
Debbie
4 comments:
Great post Debbie!
I often think the same thing. What can I write about that will be new and exciting? Or thought-provoking? Then I remember, as long as I write something, get anything out there, I'll be practicing my on-the-spot writing. Blogs are great for that!
I was just talking to another blogger the other day who runs a huge blogging network. One of the things I asked her is if she ever experiences "blogger's block" and she said, "All the time." What she does is write a list of topics that interest her or questions that come to mind. Then when she can't think of anything, she pulls out that list and just begins writing. It's better to write something instead of nothing!
And it's true -- we all have our own unique voices, opinions, and thoughts on things. No two people can see things exactly the same way. No two women have the same writer's voice (I believe Sue said that in a post once), and it's our differences and similarities that should be celebrated. For instance, I'd LOVE to know more about your vegan recipes, when you became a vegan, and what snacks you make for yourself when sitting down to write for a while. ;-)
There's so much to talk about -- and it gets easier the more you post. That's the beauty of it!
Welcome to the world of blogging Debbie -- it's nice to have you join us!
Hugs,
Angela
Hi Debbie! I'm new to the blogging world and not even sure you'll get this response. I hope you do though because I related immedately to your topic and have thought of it myself from time to time.
This is what I finally came up with. There is an Old Testiment proverb that says, "there is nothing new under the sun." Wow...I have felt this to be true so often! But while there might not be anything totally new under the sun...I agree with both you and Angela that we certainly do have different ways of voicing or responding to the same thing. On occasion we even find ourselves coming up with an original idea!
Surely each of us are unique in the way we respond to life through our writing. I love the story about the two women who, while blindfolded, were placed at different ends of an elephant. One was placed at the front end of the elephant and the other at the its back end. Remember the story? They were each told to describe the elephant without taking their blindfolds off.
Obviously there were two entirely different descriptions given of that elephant! I'm sure each were as interesting and entertaining as the other! Unique for sure.
No one will look at life and describe it like you will. Your particular background,your experiences, hopes, pains, dreams, and disappointments make up the unique person that you are, and the same with each of us of course. Yes...your voice is new and pleasantly different!
Isn't it great to realize that we can continue on writing, through out our entire lifetime, and never exhaust...never run out of...new ways of writing about the same things writers have been penning down thorugh the centuries? How exciting is that? Great blog Debbie. Thanks.
gerrie
gerrie said...
Well Debbie, it was a hugh "no-no" in the writing world, and I stand corrected on a reference I made in my earlier comment to your What's Next? blog.
It's been brought to my attention that the quote, "...there is nothing new under the sun," is not an Old Testament proverb after all. It is actually the ending of a verse found in the Old Testament...Ecclesiastes 1:9.
My first time to respond to a blog and I've already learned a huge lesson. This is going to be great fun. (smile!)
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