On Writing

Sometimes people ask me how I manage to write so many blog posts and stay up to date with things on here.  Usually immediately following one of those questions I mysteriously disappear from the blogosphere for a week or so.

So, to address those types of questions… what you read here on the blog is about 10% of what I actually “write.”  I have this habit (and I have had it for as long as I can remember) of writing in my head pretty much all the time.  Even in the days before blogging, I was constantly scripting my autobiography or, occasionally, some manner of fiction in my head.  It’s what keeps me up at night a lot of the time.

This blog post in particular was largely written while I was in the shower the other day.  Very often what I “write” never actually makes it onto paper.  Or sometimes, when I’m cleaning, I will come across pages and pages of a story that found it’s way out of my head and onto paper and then was promptly forgotten about.

I’m not sure if other people live this way. I hardly think I am unique, but I also realize that maybe not everyone was mentally writing their memoir on the way to middle school everyday.

But that’s what is kind of great about having a blog. I have an outlet for 10% of that mental writing.  And, also, it gives me some kind of focus… so, instead of randomly writing my autobiography, I can think of specific topics and “write” about those things.

So, how do I even manage to get 10% of it out of my brain and onto the world wide internet?  Well, tonight, for instance, I said, “Todd, I want to do some writing.” and it just so happened that Margot had a belly full of mama milk and asparagus and was content enough to go on an adventure with her Daddy to the garden to survey the damage done by that rascally ground hog living under our shed.  Two nights ago, I wanted to do some writing… but Margot was not so content, and so it didn’t happen.

In part, it’s luck and happenstance.

In another part, it’s having a partner who realizes what an important outlet this is for me.

And in a third part, it’s feeling some kind of obligation to live up to people saying things like “How do you write so much?” and “I’ll be looking for these pictures on the blog!!”

Anyhow, while Margot and her Daddy are adventuring in the backyard, I’ll be doing some post-dated posts and trying to catch up on Our Challenges and on What Margot Ate…. but, since I know you don’t really come here to read what I have to say… just a few pictures of Miss M: