Reflection Time #1: Writing Goals and Writing Favorites

Let’s have some reflection time about writing!

I had quite a different post in mind which is still a work in progress, but then I got a question by a fellow writing-lover and it got me inspired to reflect. Hence, I thought to myself that I could start a rubric called “Reflection Time” where I will be thinking out loud about all things connected to writing, books and life in itself. The process of writing is probably much more fun than just philosophizing about it, but sometimes I feel the need to reach out a bit deeper and find the source of inspiration within myself. I need to remind myself why I am doing it, why it matters so much and where I would like to focus my efforts. To those of you who like to overthink at the end of the day, I hope you will find here something you can relate to. For all the rest, I hope not to discourage you with my ramblings.

I guess now it is time to answer the question itself. What are my writing goals and my favorite things about writing? First of all, I find this an essential question because without proper determination and without the inner desire to express in written form, things can get a lot more difficult. I have been there and it is not such a nice place. For some time now my goals about writing have been really vague and I had forgotten why it is a favorite thing. I had gotten that far to stop writing altogether for no particular reason at all.

Who knows? Maybe because I was preoccupied with my studies and put my hobby at the second place (never do that, not a good advice!). Or maybe I ran out of ideas (something most shameful, believe me). Or maybe I could not see an outlook for it in parallel to my main future profession. Whatever the reason, when you have found the gift of writing and expression within you, it is important not to let go and set the proper determination to keep you going in the long-term. This gift can be put to different uses, like blogging or academic writing, but it should be cultivated.

There’s light in the tunnel, of course, even if you stop it altogether or take a long break to rethink your purpose. 🌤 I recently found this missing spark and I remembered how it feels to write and express freely the million thoughts in your head.

Writing Favorites

My most favorite thing about writing is that it gives you a place for yourself where you can always go whenever you don’t feel like functioning in the real world, full of troubles. In creative writing specifically, the characters are portable friends, maybe even family, who are always there to keep you company, who you can bring everywhere and who you can change and twist to your liking. I had some lonely moments back in the days when I first started my LLB studies (moving to a different country without friends and family, you know how it is). In those moments I found comfort in my characters and my writings since I knew that however far I went they would always be there for me.

Writing also gives you a feeling of control, in a sense. The author controls what happens in the story, the actions of the characters, the types of personality, it’s all according to the author’s wishes. You can write about anything you like, whenever you feel like it, for as long as it pleases you. Who is going to tell you not to or how to do it? That is if you are not hired to do a specific job and you haven’t contracted with a publisher for something particular. But apart from these cases, writers are mostly in control. A feeling of control is precious in a world full of uncontrollable uncertainties. It is our little realm of imagination where we can rule and roam free.

Writing Goals

As to writing goals… With a risk to repeat myself, I never really wanted to be a “real” writer. Maybe most people who enjoy writing would love to make it their main profession, to earn their living through something they like to do, to be known and appreciated by readers and their works to be discussed and interacted with. As much as I love to write and as much as I would like to share my books and interact with readers, I have realized that there is a price to be paid (and one not in monetary values). I have always wanted to keep writing a private place with no boundaries, where I am completely free from any kind of influence and rush, where I could take it step by step, as slowly as I want, until I reach where I am headed.

It is widely known that when you are a professional writer, as much as you love writing, at some point it will be a duty, part of your job, something that earns your living. You have to produce more books, you have to promote your works, you have to fulfill your contract with the publisher who is investing in your endeavors. It all becomes very different from this private realm of writing I was describing. If such are the circumstances, I would love to remain an amateur just for the sake of keeping this good feeling writing gives me. That is also where this blog comes in. Through a blog I can still share my thoughts and ideas with readers and establish a communication without the pressure of publicity and the professional duty to produce.

Pirate Writer

All of the benefits coming with being a professional and being published are no doubt very tempting and worth pursuing. It would be a lie to say otherwise. For me, however, this seems like too big of a sacrifice and certainly not my calling. In fact, I think of myself as some sort of a “pirate” writer. You know how pirates are – they sail wherever they want, do whatever they want, obey no one, follow no rules and no restrictions. I believe I have the same attitude towards my writing. I cannot write when it is convenient, I struggle to finish within deadlines, or if I do I don’t use up my whole potential in such a work.

You can say the same for blogging. If you want your blog to be popular, you need to publish everyday so that people click on your profile and follow it. Well, as easy as that seems, it is the most difficult thing for me. I need to write when inspiration strikes and do it at my own pace. For me this is worth more than anything I would write under the pressure to publish regularly and to achieve more followers. But enough about my “pirate” writer stuff. What is after all my goal about my creative writings?

What About the Goal?

All I knew when I first started writing was that I want to tell a story and that I want my story to reach as many people as possible. I have figured it out by now – that is, how to share my work with the public without the procedures with publishers, promotions and commercial stuff. In practical terms that means either sharing it for free or self-publishing for a symbolic price. Yes, I know how absurd that might sound to the ambitious writers out there. All my endeavors will have gone to waste, people will be able to read my writings and throw them away like those useless newspapers talking about municipal goals and politics. In fact who will even read it?

Well I have prepared my answer to such an argument (lawyer studies have taught me well). I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for me since it will be everything I wanted. In essence, I would be happy if my writing influences even one single person in this whole wide world. There are so many different people out there and who knows maybe one day a stranger will stumble over my little rambling and like it. For most people perhaps it would not matter that this single person read some rambling of someone, but for me it would mean everything.

I guess I will wrap it up here, this thesis of mine. It is a topic I can go on about for hours and I hope to have expressed a perspective unfamiliar to you, something to get you thinking, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it. I will be happy to hear your opinions and your comments on your favorite things about writing and your goals.

Sincerely Yours,

D. D.