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When writing is in the blood

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

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I’ve always been a writer. When others played with Barbies, I wrote stories which my dad illustrated and bound so they resembled a real book. Then I embarked on writing my great teen novel, followed by my songwriting phase. I really should dig out some of my old stuff and post it, just for giggles.

Now I blog.

I’m not the best. The wittiest. The fastest. The most verbose, reflective, or introspective. People apply the creative label to me, overestimating my abilities, and I aspire to levels beyond my current capability.

But I believe you don’t need to be the best at everything. Nor should you try to be. Maybe like me, you have too many interests. Books. A musical instrument. Movies. Photography. Cooking. If you enjoy what you do, then that’s enough.

Personally, I have to resist the internal urge toΒ  try to write an amazing, insightful, or otherwise awesomesauce blog post every single day (damn some of you whom I won’t name; you set the bar bloody high), and instead I’ll muddle along in my own middle of the road fashion.

Do you ever feel the pressure to be a better blogger? Or to excel at something you really do just for fun?

22 thoughts on “When writing is in the blood

  • Reply Life as a Purse January 11, 2011 at 13:54

    I pressure myself with my blog too. I tend not to post as often as I would like, because I am always worried about the quality of the posts. Sometimes I wish I could just hammer them out! You’re not alone. πŸ™‚

  • Reply Ashley January 11, 2011 at 13:57

    It’s ridiculous, but I usually don’t feel pressure in blogging until I get compliments and then I feel the pressure to live up to whatever I did before. But, I eventually get over that, thank goodness.

  • Reply Jessa January 11, 2011 at 14:30

    I know *exactly* what you mean. I have always taken to writing, and when I started to blog, I felt like I constantly needed to write some profound post that made people go “yes! wow.” It wasn’t until just recently that I don’t need to blog for anyone else, but to get the creative feeling out there. Whether it’s posting about what happened to me over the weekend, or some deep-seeded anxiety that I’ve been fighting… Sometimes you just need to write it out.

  • Reply Lesley January 11, 2011 at 15:00

    Sure. I was just talking about that with someone the other day when they asked me if I ever get anxious when I write and post something. I said, of course! Sometimes as soon as I post something I think about whether it’s really good enough a post. But, then I’m like whatever because as selfish as it sounds I don’t write for other people I write for myself. You obviously enjoy writing and you are writing about what’s important in your life. I think you are doing just fine.

  • Reply Sense January 11, 2011 at 18:39

    I used to, when I first began to blog. I had grandiose plans to become the best blogger in the world, because I start ALL of my projects that way: overestimating my abilities, motivation, determination, persistence, tenacity. Instead, I quickly discovered that I have ADD, ramble on with no destination, skitter away from my intended theses, indulge in the pity parties I don’t dare to in real life, have terrible grammar, the depths of which I am not even aware of (see?), and am too lazy to consistently hit the shift key for capitalization. I no longer pressure myself to do well blogging; I don’t ever check my stats. I know that as soon as I start pressuring myself, I will lose the urge to blog and stop, because I will feel like I’ve failed.

    Your writing is cohesive and easy to read and relate to, as well as grammatically correct. (As well it should be, as a journalist!) I always look forward to your posts. Ditto Lesley’s last two sentences; you are doing great.

  • Reply Daisy January 11, 2011 at 19:21

    I try so hard to find something interesting to write about MOST days, but my weekly spnding reports/meals at home posts save me from stressing too much.
    I do, however, post almost every day, simply because I have enough ideas for that right now, & I love to hear people’s feedback.
    I cannot for the life of me understand how some people do it. Some bloggers are just such amazing writers, it must come naturally, cause I don’t even come close!

  • Reply FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com January 12, 2011 at 01:57

    I never wanted to become a writer. I think I might have tried my hand at writing a book ONCE, but only to rewrite my own life and add in cool things like that the heroine had this awesome PDA that could do anything… πŸ˜›

    I kind of fell into blogging, muddled around for 3 years before finding my voice so to speak.

    I guess I still think of myself as some random rambler, except now I have a structure of sorts and a “groove” for the blogs, and I’m always unconsciously searching for new blog posts in everything I do, see, hear and read.

    Never thought I’d ever write, which is kind of funny that I ended up creating 2 blogs, seeing as it’s just a hobby.

  • Reply gem January 12, 2011 at 03:31

    Every. Day. That. I. Blog. Mostly I contemplate making my blog public to people IRL, which would require me to really be on top of my game in terms of being entertaining, rather than self-indulgent and cathartic and random. Every entry would be a neat little tale from my life that was upbeat and entertaining and hilarious. From there, I would of course turn the blog into a total money-maker. Somehow. Still not entirely sure how people profit from blogs…. but I’d figure it out.

    Unfortunately, none of these things will happen. But mostly I’m okay with it. Because it’s really not the most important thing in the world if I’m queen of blogging or not.

  • Reply Jane January 12, 2011 at 05:06

    CHEERS to being middle-of-the-road sometimes. Sometimes I get really inspired and write (what I consider) a good post (for me), but mostly, I just write to get something on the page.

    I love your blog, though. It’s one of my absolute favorites. I think you do an amazing job.

  • Reply Manda January 12, 2011 at 05:12

    Oh God, all the time. With blogging, I never feel like I quite hit the mark. Like, maybe the idea behind an entry is interesting, but I didn’t write it in an interesting way. Or an entry could have been funny, but my writing didn’t live up to the humor factor. Or… something. There’s ALWAYS something I’m second guessing or unsure about when blogging. But most of the time I just bite the bullet and get on with it. It is only a hobby, after all.

  • Reply Everyday Tips January 12, 2011 at 12:38

    I had never enjoyed writing until I started blogging. I was actually always a math kind of person and I kind of found english boring. However, I love how I can just sit down and right whatever the heck I want. People can read if they want, or not, but I always feel good after I am done. I feel it is pretty cheap therapy- less than ten dollars a month. (web hosting fee)

  • Reply paranoidasteroid January 13, 2011 at 01:18

    I’ve never had an issue worrying about writing a post every single day, but I do feel pressure to make sure that when I do write, it’s amazing. Unfortunately, I then feel paralyzed by trying to live up to my expectations.

    I actually had more of an issue when I started to get pressure to monetize the blog. It made it instantly un-fun!

  • Reply Emily Jane January 13, 2011 at 09:05

    I loved this little post because it hit on a really interesting point. I’ve always been a writer at heart, too; I remember sitting upstairs in my grandma’s house while my brother was downstairs watching Blockbusters or Countdown with her (which I adored, don’t get me wrong!), sitting at her old typewriter and just churning out pages and pages of stories. I love to write. But I think there’s always something to be said for striving for excellence, whether it’s in something you have to do or something you like to do. It’s always good to try and be better πŸ™‚

  • Reply Emily Jane January 13, 2011 at 09:06

    PS. …it’s always good to try and be better provided you stick to your own reasons for doing it, and not because someone else is telling you to. Authentic eagerness for self improvement is a wonderful thing. Trying to be better than someone else, or better in someone else’s way, is not.

    I’m done now πŸ™‚

  • Reply Money Rabbit January 13, 2011 at 10:40

    I loved this post. I absolutely can identify with what you’re saying here, since I feel the exact same way. And I totally get the too many interests thing … right now I’m trying to decide if it makes more sense to narrow down my interests and focus on those, or to just keep enjoying my random affairs with extra curriculars.

    P.S. I’m starting Mockingjay tonight and can hardly wait!

  • Reply Money Rabbit January 13, 2011 at 10:41

    P.S. I think you would love Stephen King’s “On Writing.” It’s FANTASTIC for writers.

  • Reply LindyMint January 13, 2011 at 10:47

    There are some really great writers/bloggers who I adore. I am thankful for the fact that I can still be envious of them without feeling bad about myself, most of the time anyways. But do I feel the pressure? Yes, absolutely. On a good day I can give myself grace and be happy knowing I’m doing my best, and accept that it may not be as good as someone else.

    I too suffer from the too many interests syndrome. Jack of all trades, master of none I guess.

  • Reply Emily Achenbaum Harris January 13, 2011 at 14:53

    Totally! But then I remember: I never set out to be a professional blogger or something, and this is supposed to be fun. πŸ™‚

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  • Reply Jacq June 30, 2011 at 14:00

    I think I’ve only written 2 posts out of about 500 that I would define as “good enough”. But at the end of the day, I just like playing with words. And sometimes they play back. πŸ™‚

  • Reply Rafiki June 30, 2011 at 16:47

    Yes I do. Sometimes I don’t think I am doing a good job being a blogger even though it is just a hobby that I quite enjoy.

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