As much as I love writing, I also hate it.  Where do I begin?

Literally, where do I begin?

 When it comes to writing, this question always arises.  Do I start with a question, with a strong statement, an analogy?  Do I write it out in long-hand first and then type or do I just go to the keyboard and see what flows from my mind?

The next question I always ask myself is, is it good?

 Are sentences catchy, informative, sensible?  Does the reader understand me or am I just rambling?  If someone were to read this aloud would it be linear? What is my theme and where do I put it? I know I want to be more concise, but how much can I cut out before it’s no longer understandable?

The questions from the technical standpoint are even more vexing, are the commas in this sentence in the right place?    Will I ever learn to use semi-colons, colons and dashes in the way they are supposed to be used? Does anybody use them the way they are supposed to be used?

There are so many stories of writers who drink, take drugs, womanize, commit suicide, or generally live a life of excess, debauchery and danger.  The question will always be, is this the dark side of the creative impulse or were they driven to write and then driven insane by the “tyranny of the blank page”?  To my mind there seems to be no greater opportunity to absolutely f**k-up and showcase all dysfunctionalities as a blank sheet of paper.

It’s not the writer’s fault.  It’s the words.

 They refuse to come out in a sequence befitting the writer’s lofty ambitions.  They skip across the mind like wayward children, hide from the pen, slip through the grip, and generally refuse to behave.  Even when finally transfixed to the page,I continue to agonize on whether they are in the right order.  Could it be better, did the turn of phrase turn out ok, or did the simile mix with the metaphor to create an awful mess?

Although when all is said and done, when the words behave, and my feeble faculties have done all that they can to make the writing right,

it is majestic to behold.