Every day I do it.
Put my heart and soul into my work.
And still, I don’t feel like I do enough.
Because if it takes me an hour to write a good sentence,
or twenty minutes to edit one,
I haven’t the product–I haven’t been productive.
Writing is a skill
or I should say writing well is a skill–writing poetically is a skill
unlike building a wall of brick and mortar.
Because unlike the repetitive nature of building a wall,
no two sentences are quite alike.
No two stories are alike.
They each have their fingerprint,
the fingerprint of the author.
The soul of the author.
The experiences that make the author who he or she is.
So just because I don’t bang out a story in a few weeks,
doesn’t mean I’m not working.
Perhaps it just means my heart and soul
are unready to let it go.
SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/
This totally off the top post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to find all the other posts in the comment section and join in yourself–it’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/03/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-16-19/
lindaghill.com 
March 20, 2019 at 5:05 pm
This is so encouraging. We are not alone. … if it takes me an hour to write a good sentence ….
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March 20, 2019 at 10:34 pm
Indeed, we’re all together in the struggle. 🙂
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March 17, 2019 at 5:53 pm
I really enjoyed reading this. Knowing there is someone out there who gets the struggle of the ground work you have to put in to release a good piece of art is comforting to me. It helps me know that I am not alone in this.
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March 18, 2019 at 9:41 pm
Thank you, Bessie. 🙂 You’re definitely not alone. ❤
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March 17, 2019 at 2:12 pm
Really liked this
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March 18, 2019 at 9:42 pm
Thank you. 🙂
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March 17, 2019 at 1:42 pm
One of my favorite blog prompt pages was recently taken down, and I went into this writing slump. I wasn’t able to find the words to clearly articulate what I was feeling. But now that I’ve found this page, I think I might be able to bring back that fire, that drive to create content worth reading. Thank you for giving this prompt!
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March 18, 2019 at 9:42 pm
You’re welcome! Always happy to help. 🙂
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March 17, 2019 at 12:46 pm
To me, writing is not about the output but the process.
If you’re at your writing, you are working at your writing.
A word. A sentence. A poem. A story. A book.
Editing, too.
It is all part of the work.
All the soul of writing.
To me.
Na’ama
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March 18, 2019 at 9:43 pm
Indeed! Thanks, Na’ama. 🙂
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March 19, 2019 at 12:23 pm
🙂
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March 17, 2019 at 7:53 am
I enjoyed this. I can’t say I spend twenty minutes writing a sentence ever but my sister does.
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March 18, 2019 at 9:44 pm
Thanks, Roberta. 🙂 It’s those words that are just at the tip of your tongue … or fingers, or something. 😛
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March 17, 2019 at 6:55 am
That’s a great way to think about it. You can’t put creativity on a schedule. Take it as it comes.
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March 18, 2019 at 9:45 pm
Writing, maybe. Genuine creativity? Nope.
Thanks, Dan. 🙂
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March 17, 2019 at 4:32 am
Making words work in the way you want is an extremely tough skill. It can take an age ❤️
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March 18, 2019 at 9:45 pm
It can! ❤
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March 17, 2019 at 3:21 am
I completely agree with you Sis.
Writing takes time and soul, writing well takes even more . 🌹🌹🌹
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March 18, 2019 at 9:46 pm
Indeed! ❤
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March 17, 2019 at 2:41 am
I absolutely understand. I think it is like that with any art form. When I “try” to make it work, it never does, because it comes from emotion – and that depends on the balance of the energy you have at that moment. Because when it is time for the pieces to come together – when I am recording music – I don’t plan it. I don’t write it out and decide what piano keys to hit. I’m an improv composer. I know when the time is right. I hit the record button and play and later listen to what came out. I am involved in more than one type of “art”. There was much that took me many many years to understand. Learn to trust it and it will be there.
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March 17, 2019 at 1:27 am
I hear you. Sometimes we’re just not ready to publish a post. It takes us many hours to do one because our mind is not focused. Thanks for doing this prompt.
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March 17, 2019 at 2:42 am
You are right – it is the focus – and most people don’t know ow to create that focus.
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March 17, 2019 at 2:53 am
That’s true. How about you? What do you do to create your focus?
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March 17, 2019 at 12:17 am
I’m glad there are people out there like you that know how to edit. It is the bane of my existence. When I read anyone’s work I see the movie in my head and never the mistakes or need for better structure. I’m glad you have the heart and soul to put into it.
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March 17, 2019 at 12:23 am
I love editing, especially if it’s someone else’s work. I’m usually too close to my own to see the forest for the trees. But it’s still fun. 🙂
Thanks, Dar. ❤
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March 17, 2019 at 12:26 am
same here, when I see my own work I cannot “see” right
🙂
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March 17, 2019 at 1:03 am
I may have to save up my pennies and see if I can ever afford to pay you to do mine. I never see the forest on anyone’s work.
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