My Process – Ryan. B

It’s funny to call it a writing process.

        The muddled events that unfold as you attempt to write don’t really resemble a process. And you certainly never think of it that way. When I sit down to begin writing and stare at the computer screen I’ll often do something else before begining. Something quick. Tiddy my desk or put away the clothes left hung over my chair. Something that will spawn another activity. Having already tidied my desk why not make my bed. Practical perhaps but that’s not where this is leading. Ok the bed is made, now what? Good heavens, look at my shoes; strewn around in a fashion indictaing i was happy to have them off my feet. Ok, all shoes partnered up and in a nice straight line. Hmmm. It’s been a while since i’ve organised my t-shirts. Throw them out onto the bed; damn I just made that. Alright let’s see; more then 40 t-shirts. So that’s where my money went. Fold nicely into three piles; ordering them in most to least used. Why? Im not sure that’s just how I do it. But what about my hanging clothes. Now throw thoes onto the bed. Making sure the good clothes have the good hangers before they go back in. Several jackets at the front, several shirts in th middle and several jeans and pants at the back. Perfect. I have exhausted every possible form of procrastination, in this room anyway. Now what was i doing?

        The monitor is full of the curvy coloured lines of its screen saver. I sit down in front of the mezmerising colours as they dip and bend. Time to work. I wake the computer and its judgemental cursor blinks at me.

        “Dont give me that crap it’s only been…oops. I wasted an hour and a half ordering my room. Well I’m working now damn it.” 

        I pick a CD up off the shelf. Mood music. Wait not that one; Michael Buble’s old album. I can sing that one first song to last; too distracting. But the new one i dont know so well. Throw it on and rock back and forth a little and hum to the smooth crooning melody. Ok. Now it’s time.

        Read the last few lines of the last paragraph. I’m up to date and ready to go. I write some crap just to get me in, I’ll fix that later. Now I’m in and rolling along at a slow pace as I usually think alound and have to go slow enough for my fingers to type. I often antagonise over a few lines for longer then I care to admit. I’ll sit and read ten times over over what i’ve just written. For three quaters of the time i may not actually be writing. Especially if i break for lunch or a one hour television reward. If I’ve earnt one. Some times i will even turn the computer off and  say “not today”. But by the end of a productive day, usually leading into night; I will have completed a chapter or my set goal. And will be happy with it. 

       So in its nut shell I supose my writing process is to exhaust the avenues of procrastination, before allowing myself to be absorbed in the work. If it takes a while to get going, I may just be more determined to produce something worth the time spent.