thoughts, words, deeds

why I think I'm a process writer

Motivational Monday! Author Philip Roth, born on this day in 1933, once said "I think I write and publish as often as I do because I can't bear being without a book to work on... I don't feel I have this to say or that to say or this story to tell, but I know I want to be occupied with the writing process while I'm living." What do you think? What gets you through the end of one thing and the start of another?

Ah, Mr. Roth sounds like a process writer. I think I am too. Like I’m a process knitter. I knit because I want something in my hands. I knit multiple projects at a time because I don’t want to have nothing to do (the boredom thing again), and so I always have projects at various stages of completion. However, once the thing is finished, I’m not as interested anymore. I want to give it to someone or to start wearing it, but the thing itself is no longer interesting. The process is what is important.

Writing is kind of the same thing for me, although there are times when I’m less interested in writing than having written. I like getting things down on the page and rewriting and revising until I have something interesting and well written. The process itself draws me. But I’m not as interested once the final product is there. I need to fix that about myself—figure out a way to publish so that I care more about finishing. But why should I finish when writing itself is so much fun and when every time I reread and rewrite, it gets better.

Which reminds me. I want to finish a knitting project (double knit scarf) by the end of the month because if I do, I can post it on the “I’ve finished!” thread on the Ravelry forums (which are where the other half of my social media attention has managed to land) and be eligible for a prize—another pattern from the designer. I like the designer. I even have a potential pattern in mind.

Which probably means I won’t be pulled in the drawing. My luck kind of runs that way.