Letters to my Phantom Friend (Writing about Writing)

I feel like writing today, and so I shall. I like to write for myself, I actually have a backwater blog set to private so I can write my little heart out and pretend people read me. Tis odd, I know, but it’s what it takes to get me going at times. When I write, I generally begin by ambling through the slow undercurrent of thoughts that runs behind my conscious mind, or whatever minor happenstances seem to be worth mentioning. For today, my prompting is the former. I want to write about writing. ~So there we have it, I have my initial subject. Bravo! Many writers never get that far. If you don’t like to write, perhaps that’s one of your problems; you’re just too picky! I like to write about my family, my crazy cat, my opinions and philosophies, what I wish might be and what I dread, what I think and feel, and what I should do about it. So pick some random, yes, random, topic and start to run with it. Watch me if you will. (or, rather, read me.) Writing. I like to write; I generally tend to do it when I’m stressed or simply feeling listless. It’s a rather compulsive activity for me in truth. I write because I feel a sudden desire to, or, because I don’t, and I think I need to work through my thoughts. In my normal writing, my thoughts, beliefs, and feelings all come together with the happenings of recent days to create a string of reasoning and philosophizing that emerges as I work through my own mind and heart with whatever words spring to my fingertips. Writing is enjoyable; I can write stories. (in fact, I often do, I have already completed a few novel-length plots and worked half-way through a couple of them before I decided to set them aside for major revision) can talk to myself while talking to some phantom reader who listens to my every word. As I write the reader listens, as I explain and expound, summarize and try to help the phantom to understand, I gain a new understanding myself. This is the end, in both senses of the word, part of the point of my writing and the conclusion. This is where I come to a close. I find something from my writing, I discover something, I make a decision, even if the decision is to simply leave whatever be and move on, instead of dwelling eternally upon a worthless strain of thought. Watch for your ending. It’s not always easy to spot; you have to let your mental defenses down and simply explain. Don’t try to prove your point to your phantom, instead, try to persuade; try to help the phantom understand your life, your thoughts, your heart. Relax. The phantom doesn’t judge. The phantom won’t get mad at what you write, no matter how stupid or how badly you did on the post. The phantom doesn’t notice bad spelling of inferior wording, horrid grammar or whatever other problems you think your posts may have. The Phantom never minds. He listens simply because he likes to listen. The phantom is only your own mind trying to understand itself. So love your phantom and use him well. He’s an incredible tool if we simply learn to use him. After all, tis what he’s there for, right?