the conundrum of writing

Hey! How’s everyone’s new year been so far?

Do you ever feel like you’re running but not getting anywhere?

Like this character. I started to draw them, and they never felt complete (yes I did actually just assign my cartoon character they/them pronouns, deal with it)—I keep wondering what to add and coming up with nothing. So I just added a little color and decided that was enough. My dear old friend, artist David Carter, used to say, “don’t gild the lily”. I was never sure what that meant, but I’ve tried to avoid it. I just do less and hopefully, the ‘gilded lily’ has been sidestepped. Easy.

I wish writing was as easy as drawing.

Fran Lebowitz on writing

Fran Lebowitz, sometime author and curmudgeonly role model, once said something to the effect that one reason she has writer’s block is because writing, quite frankly, is awful. She doesn’t know of any other writers who *love* writing either, and those who say they do are lying: unlike other creative pursuits, such as music and art, which are pleasurable, writing is just hard work. I tend to agree: I don’t write because I love it the same way I loved playing music when I was younger, or making art to this day; I write because it’s a compulsion. I write because I can’t *not* write. I would still write whether or not anyone read it, but I am incredibly grateful to those who do read it (like you! Thank you!).

How do authors write actual whole books?

I recently finished the novel Fleishman Is in Trouble because I watched (and thoroughly enjoyed) the series on Hulu. I don’t typically rush to read books that films or tv shows are based on, because I strongly believe that fiction writing and filmmaking (and dramatic TV series episodes are kind of like little films, right?) are very different art forms: invariably, one will ruin the other for me. That’s a very personal take, by the way, and if you disagree that’s fine. No need to tell me. :)

Anyway, I was curious to see how the novel compared to the series mainly because the author, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, was one of the series’ showrunners. It’s interesting to examine how a story creator manages the transfer of their characters from page to screen. Nevertheless, I highly recommend both the series and the novel—no spoilers here, but there’s a lot to it and Brodesser-Akner doles it out (the “lot”) in a unique and engaging voice. The performances are pretty good, too. After all, who doesn’t love a narrator who’s an adult iteration of Janis Ian from Mean Girls (aka Lizzy Caplan)?

In any case, while reading the novel, the thought bubbled up: how do authors do this? I mean, how do they write actual full-length novels? It must require tremendous amounts of focus and commitment. I can barely stitch together this friggin’ newsletter once every month or so. Yes, writing, for many writers, is a compulsion—but what’s the secret to the long-form?

Perhaps the conundrum can be linked to our (and I’m not necessarily speaking for everyone) dwindling attention spans.

I started a digital detox on December 31st. The impetus was not only to avoid distractions so I could focus on writing and art, but also because my job requires an elevated level of focus that was crumbling under the weight of distractions…and I need this job to survive :) So, yeah, necessity. The difference between “I’d like to lose a few pounds to fit into this outfit” and “If you don’t make a major change, you might be in real trouble”.

Unlike past versions of this (deactivating social media, trying to survive with just a dumb phone, AppBlock-type apps, etc) I’m attempting a more nuanced approach, inspired by Cal Newport (author of Deep Work) and Catherine Price (author of How to Break Up With Your Phone). Both of them suggest a method more like an “elimination diet” in which you only use technology sparingly and in utilitarian ways, rather than suggesting total abandonment. I’ve found this approach much easier to stick with, and I’ve been at it for almost a whole month now. HIGHLY recommend giving it a try.

From “How to Break Up with your Phone”:

what else happened recently? well, oscar noms, obv:

Hung Up*

(a newsletter by Hunter Harris)

Let's Talk About It: Oscar Nominations

Read more

Andrea Riseboroughgate: I saw To Leslie and really loved it (although it was a tough watch; more on that in my review here). Andrea Riseborough is phenomenal, but so are a lot of other actors’ performances. How she made it to the 2023 Oscar nominations lists has been the subject of some controversy; so much so that the academy is reviewing the campaign to have her nominated.

Of course, I’m beyond thrilled that my dreamboat (oh no here it comes, she’s gonna say it) former yoga student Colin Farrell was nominated for Banshees of Inisherin, a very interesting (a word we use when we’re not sure how we feel about Martin McDonagh’s writing) take on male friendship and communication. If nothing else, the film has inspired a motherlode of hilarious memes.

Americana at Brand Memes @americanamemes

This year’s best picture nominees if they took place in LA: The Banshees of Inisherin:

3:22 PM ∙ Jan 28, 2023

However, who can disagree that Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Lydia Tar is so otherworldly that some are convinced that she is a real person (isn’t she?)…

By the way, not to make you jealous, but *this* happened:

some photos I took instead of painting

apropos of nothing

some articles that are kind of interesting:

Buddhists Don’t Have to Be Nice: Avoiding Idiot Compassion (Who knew this was an option?)

Why I Stopped Clicking the “Like” Button (a concept Cal Newport explores in his book Digital Minimalism)

I Will Not Read Your F*%!ing Script (a timeless oldie from the Village Voice)

final thoughts

One thing I do appreciate about social media, though: it does help me ask for help solving creative conundrums. I posted the question at the top of this newsletter to Twitter, asking for suggestions on what my running creature needed: thanks to a fellow Substack newsletter author, Jenny DeWitt, I got a great suggestion.

Red shoes! What do you think?

Be back in a few weeks! Thanks for reading. :)

(note: I occasionally post affiliate links in my newsletter; it helps me continue to provide free content. Don’t feel obligated to click them or make purchases, it’s cool! You’re always welcome to buy me a coffee)