I have always liked to write- this is no secret and I have talked about it often on here and elsewhere but I definitely go through stages where I will write and write and write and then go months when I will barely write at all. It is not an enthusiasm thing, or a lack of inspiration thing, in fact I don`t really know what it is.
I have journalled on and off for years and over the last couple of years was writing a couple of times a week until I got married earlier this year. You would think with the wedding, and getting pregnant and moving back to Japan that I would have written more often since there was so much going on and so many changes happening but since our wedding in May I have written in my journal only 4 or 5 times. It is still sitting in our bedside table waiting for when the urge hits to write in it once again.
I am disappointed in myself for not writing in it more often since coming back here- it is not like I haven`t had much time. In fact I have had more time than ever to write but I just haven`t. I want to get back into it again but the desire is just not really there at the moment…
On our bookshelves I hate lots of books about writing and writing prompts and grammar and unusual words but the truth is I rarely touch them. It as if when I look at them I am disappointed that those books haven`t magically made me into a better writer. I know that reading a book about writing will not automatically make me a better writer but I think deep down I had hoped that would be a magical cure. I know that what it really takes to become a good writer is time to hone the skills/ability one has and diligence to keep at it. But I also think that someone has to already have the talent to be a good writer- I think you are born with the gift and there are some that have it and some that don`t. Sadly, I feel I am one of those people that don`t have that gift, as much as I want it.
I read so many things each day, thinking to myself “I wish I could write like that” or “I wish I could be as engaging as that” – and a lot of things when I go to write sound so much better and more eloquently put in my head until I write them down or type them out and this frustrates me so much. Like this post for example.
Have you ever had something you so desperately wanted to be good at just not work for you? How did you overcome it?
Kanji is definitely another one of mine!!!
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
Hi Lulu! I think we’ve all been there for various things, with writing I suck pretty much at grammar but I am pretty good with creative writing, no matter how much I read, I still, to this day don’t get along with Grammar….
With writing you have to find your “personal style”, for me I write in a whimsical manner, and although I need my stuff edited I feel proud or accomplished about what I just wrote.
Hard to explain, I 80% write for myself and the other percent I write for my readers, friends, family… etc.
I like word play, the thesaurus was my best friend since in college and all those damn MLA guidelines, reading magazines and sometimes blog posts give me inspiration– just like with art, there are outside influences that always inspire.
I open a word document and I literally laugh out loud sometimes at some of the things I write– for example as a task– write a sentence, in a word document list a., b., and c.,.
In each (a,b,c) add a word or use a thesaurus to change the “feeling” in the sentence you just wrote, I learn new words everyday, this has helped me when I was working as an editor.
Japanese is something I wish I was good at, but I’m not, in fact I have no interest at all, culture or otherwise except for my husband– so learning Japanese is a struggle, but I push myself because it can only HELP me, and the less I have to “use” or get “help” from others in my business exchanges… know what I mean?
You have to find a niche that interests you. I don’t know if any of this helped.. I think I babbled way to much.
Lulu, there are a number of things that I have desperately wanted to be good at that just are not working for you? One is slightly related to your writing and that is to strive to be a better translator with every job I do and part of that requires me to read more for my professional development. Despite the bookshelves full of books in my house, I cant seem to find the time or actively make it a priority to read more. I wish I could and still havent found a solution to be more of an avid reader. I wish I were more like you with your reading lists! I struggle to get thru one book a month!!
For what it’s worth I love your writing. Those A is for… posts you were doing were amazing. They really stayed with me.
I don’t journal anymore (I can’t believe you have time to do that *and* blog!) but when the bug hits me I write for the AFWJ journal or the local English tourist journal and these get me into a different style of writing which is invigorating. And of course there’s always essay competitions like the KICA one- (50,000 yen to boot!). I think challenging yourself with different genres and if possible writing where you will be edited is a great experience. Last time I was edited 7,500 words became 4,000- ouch! But it was a great chance to get (very) honest feedback on my writing! I know a couple of online journals if you’d like some leads.
And something I just can’t get good at? Deep frying. Scares the heck out of me and always comes out raw in the middle. So sad as I love well made tempura…
Laura, it irritates me when you say things like this! Trust me, you’re a fantastic writer. Your cult following of blog readers is more than testament to this fact. Writing is half talent, half dogged persistence and half self-belief (yah, it equals 1.5). You have the first two, it’s just the last one you obviously need to work on. Don’t give up. Meanwhile, you will totally be optioning off those journals to Harper Collins or Doubleday at some stage in your life. I just know it.
In saying that, I’ve always wanted to be good at drawing but unfortuantly I suck to high heaven. Nothing will clear a room faster than me saying “Hey, who wants to be on my team for Pictionary?!”
Ditto – love reading your blog lulu and it bums me when you go through long periods of no posts. I have never striven (stroven ??) to be a good writer and am in fact utter crap and never would the word eloquent be used in the same sentence as my blog.
Must agree with Paul – would love to be fab artist but must admit that soundsl ike if Paul and i were on same team for pictionary we would suck.
I desparately want to be good at dieting and giving head but am afraid these are so far removed from what you were wanting to hear about that I will stop there!!
April Marie- Sometimes grammar screws me over too.
I like your thesaurus idea in word with the a,b,c- definitely have to try it sometime. The thesaurus was definitely my friend when I needed to write reports etc during university. There is only so many ways you can say firstly, secondly, thirdly though.
I used to work for a magazine publishing company here in Japan also (long, long time ago- I was only 21) and there were two great editors of magazines we ran and they were both great influences. I tried to take on any feedback etc that they gave me and I was always so impressed with the kind of work they produced. I was definitely more than a little jealous!!!
As for Japanese- maybe fine some part of the culture that interests you whether it be Ikebana, fashion magazines (I might be close with this one?), Tv Dramas and study up on them and your Japanese will improve. My spoken and listening of Japanese improved a lot through watching drama`s as a student as the language used is the kind of casual language the every day Japanese person uses.
Nooh- What about books on tape/CD? I have never really used them BUT I have heard they are great. Podcasts are also good (used them for Japanese before too, April Marie)
For professional development there is a lot I should do.
Haha, it is funny- no matter how much I read, I do not become a better writer even though advice out there is if you want to be a better writer “read, read, read”.
Heather- Oh my deep frying scares the crap out of me too! I hate cooking in oil! My MIL tried to show me but I just couldn`t stand close enough. Luckily my MIL can`t blame it on my “gaijinness” since SIL hates to do it too. HEHE. No hints there sorry.
Would love some links to the journals you spoke of.
I think getting feedback is a great thing- hard to get when you write for yourself mainy though. As I said to April, when I worked for the magazine company we had great editors which was good and obviously as a student (not that long ago!) I was edited quite a bit. Maybe I need to look for something like that again where I could be edited a bit more.
Paul- You still read my blog? You are a stalker! HAHA. You never comment. Is your mum reading too? I bet she is. Hi Jan!
You and I have spoken about this MANY times before and I always appreciate your advice.
Oh god I could never auction off my journals- they are dull as! Oh well maybe the ones I wrote at age 12, since they are kind of hilarious to read back on. I re-read some of my old journals when I was in Australia last year and the ones from when I was about 15 & 16 were so depressing….god, been a teenager sucked.
Well I guess I need to strive for that other half of the equation- what was it? Self belief? Maybe I can buy some somewhere…..
Maybe I could help you write your next documentary! As for your drawing- well I also suck at drawing so can not be any help at all. As gaijinwife said though re, pictionary- I think we should never be on the same team. I drew a kangaroo for my old kindy class and they couldnt figure out what it was- seriously the 4 year olds could draw better than me.
Gaijinwife- I love your blog too! Yours is one of the ones I read and think “I wish I could write like that” as there is so much humour in what you write (and some of my favourite stories are written in a similar way!)- maybe I wouldn`t say “eloquent” but I would say “damn, funny”. Paul talked about “cult followers” your blog definitely has a cult following in fact, Paul that commented above is one of them!!! As the little brother of my best childhood friend- when we would meet up when I was back in Australia he would talk about you (and Nay, Sara) as if he knew you. It was funny!
I wish I was better at dieting too (but I think I am quite good at giving head
) – I have gotten better at dieting over the years though- wish my writing would follow!
I would say that most of us who have blogs love to write,hence the blogs! In my perfect world,I would be a writer,an artisit or an interior designer.Oh well,teaching English to bored JHS kids will have to do and I suppose there maybe someone out there who would envy me my job…;)
Hi Lulu,
I think this might be my first comment though I’ve been reading for a while, so nice to meet ya.
I get writer’s block, too, often! I’ve just started freelancing a bit lately, after a long long time of *thinking* about it and *moaning* about it.
Here are a couple of quotes that I like, that help me a little bit.
First one is from a Paul Simon song, Hurricane Eye:
“You want to be a writer
But you don’t know how or when
Find a quiet place
Use a humble pen.”
The other is by Colin Dexter, via the Orangette blog:
“Well, I think you’ve got to be prepared to write a load of nonsense to start with, and then you can tart it up. The business of getting going, getting started, is enormously important.”
This is my first post, I hope I learn more from you. Thanks to all of you