Writing Times (English 1/5)

   For my English class once (I think this was Freshman year of college), I wrote a whole bunch about the conditions under which I like to write, which was the assignment, the conditions under which you like to write. I wrote this big, half or full page thing, which really- such exercises really help you step back and analyse your own stereotypical pathways, break down your own motivations for doing things, and methods-- it helps you not only not become tunnel visioned, but to discover what drives you and how to fuel that. And it was fascinating.

   There was a power blink, though, and the whole original page was never saved. So I can't give you what was originally written there... But basically what I said in that original paper was this: I just write as if I’m thinking onto paper, so any conditions that would be suitable for thinking are suitable for writing. Except in bed, and same such stuff, or course. Bedtimes is real good times for thinking, but you have to remember what you thought if you want to write on it the next morn.

    But, all of that’s me talking in the present, and that wasn't in the original for-college-English writing. I do have a snippet of what I wrote later, punctuation and paragraphing standardized (of course I redid the paper; it was an assignment- I couldn't just say, oh, the power went out, there's no paper for you.) First I explained the thinking-writing thing, and also why I couldn't offer the full version, and then I went into it:

   So I don’t write under conditions that grab your attention, such as watching television or listening to music. (I remember I rambled quite a bit about this.)
   If I am writing about an event, I see that event in my mind, like a movie, and I translate these images into words, as if I'm writing a movie novelization. If I am writing about, say, logic, or something, I think the debate in my mind, just writing down whatever comes. Thinking onto paper, with my brain always generating the content a few steps in front of what I’m writing at the moment.
   I’m never at a loss of what to say, because, really, who ever stops thinking (meditation aside)? And now I’m at a loss for what to say, because I've just summarized what I wrote about writing conditions. Boom?

   Fun stuff. And... deeply personal, but all art creation is at one level or another. Communication and all that. This is neat; I think I'll give you more from my English assignments.