For me writing is like running on a treadmill; you use a lot
of energy without actually moving from the spot you started in. When I sit down
to write I use so much brain power to try to come up with an idea but it turns
out the idea isn’t that great anyway and I don’t actually end up using it. It
is sort of like how I feel now. I’m currently sitting at my desk in my dorm
room trying to write this blog. Meanwhile, I’m being distracted by everything
going on without actually writing anything. When I turn my focus back to my
computer my ideas stop flowing. It’s as if a dam was placed in my brain to make
the whole “ideas from brain-to-fingers” more like the Hoover Dam rather than
Niagara Falls.
One writer who has made me feel this way is Ray Bradbury. In
the 9th grade in my honors lit class, the first book assigned was Fahrenheit
451. We were told to read the first three chapters for homework that night and
there would be a quiz on it the following day of class. Now, I went home and
read the first three chapters of that novel and I felt I definitely understood
what was happening. I figured it was a classic dystopian society except books
were illegal and firemen actually started fires instead of putting them out.
The next day in lit class, we were handed out the quiz and I was shocked to see
that it was only five questions and there it was also free response. When I
assumed the shock was over, I began to read the questions. I recall one of them
asking what color the curtain was in the main character’s house and what did
that color represent. The other four questions were worded in similar fashion.
As it turns out, I didn’t actually read the chapters (even though I did) because
I received a 20/100 on the quiz. In comparison to how I feel when I’m writing, I
did spend the time and energy to do the reading, but the only thing that moved
was my grade… and not in a positive way.
I know exactly where you are coming from when you say it feels like a treadmill. I did not think of that but that is almost a perfect metaphor for my writing is like. I think i have a great idea and i will start writing and then as i keep writing i'm just repeating myself and not making any real progress i did all this work and haven't moved anywhere. I do the same thing you mentioned about Ray Bradbury's book, so often i have to reread passages or even pages and remind myself to retain what i am reading so i am not just skimming over the words on the page but actually understanding them.
ReplyDeleteI understand exactly what you go through. Often I focus too much on coming up with ideas to write about and once I get an idea, it doesn't end up being a good one. Writing is like running on a treadmill because I don't seem to be making real progress on the assignment, yet I put energy into it.
ReplyDeleteThe situation about Ray Bradbury's book has happened to me multiple times and it can be frustrating. A good idea is to talk to your friends about what they got from the assigned reading to help you see different points of view.
I have had the same experience with doing assigned reading for homework. I'll sit down, and if I'm lucky to get past the first two paragraphs without zoning out, I will partially understand what's going on. I'll understand things to a certain point, to the point where I feel as if the little details do not play a major role in the book. In the end, every little detail meant something throughout the book. Also, I like your metaphor. I thought it was very creative to compare writing to "running on a treadmill". Good, quality post.
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