Once I decided to stop being shy, I felt more full of light and love, and writing became less tortuous. It was a sweet revelation to discover that I could now write anytime, anywhere, and about anything, not just my angst. Writing since then has been a joy for me, and as I mentioned in Sean’s post, most times my fingertips fly as my editing brain tries to keep up.

I loved reading the opposing viewpoints on this topic. I hope to see more of this point/counterpoint style of writing. You both have impressive, though unique, ways of expressing your views. As has been said here before, you complement each other nicely.

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I think everyone has to find their inspiration and environment for working. Some of us fart sunshine, and some of us crave seclusion, wearing black and listening to emo. What I found interesting is your comment, “Instead, I think that art attracts people who are antisocial, never quite fit in and feel a need to express themselves via other avenues.” When I was in art school, there was a definite trend of anti-social, non-conforming attitude. So much so, we joked that we were all conforming non-conformists (some of our “fellow” artists didn’t think it was funny). There were definitely those of us that didn’t fit in to “normal” society, but who wants to be “normal”? Normal is boring.

If you find that being in seclusion and letting that black mental cloud descend upon you to write is what you need, then by all means, let it happen. Your writing, in my opinion, doesn’t come across as tortured, it seems to flow across the screen without nary a hiccup. It works for you.

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If there is any torture, it’s not having the time to get in that zone. Having small children and a house to run means that during the hours I’m freshest I can’t write. If I wait until the evening, my brain is like sludge and it does take more effort, although it’s not what I’d call torture, just fatigue.

I think you’re right that writing and other art does seem to attract those that are comfortable on the outposts of life. Not necessarily anti-social, but people who can and want to step back and see things for how they are.

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janice – Thanks for the kind words. Yes, Sean and I do compliment each other well personally and professionally. As for birth charts, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I am a Leo but I don’t believe in astrological stuff. If anyone cares to know why, perhaps I’ll write an essay on belief someday.

Lori – You talking about Sean being skinny and me being fat?

Bonnie – Thank you for sharing your story. Journalistic writing is a whole other beast, in my opinion than fiction writing. I did not get nearly as bent out of shape or antisocial when I wrote for the paper. Quite the opposite, actually! I was extremely social as a reporter – it was a requirement. Though there are plenty of other reasons journalism can make you miserable! As for the shackles, I agree. When I was younger I wanted to go into drama but somebody prevented me from doing so and to this day, I think drama would have helped me develop more fully.

Anne Wayman – I hear you on boredom. I oftentimes had to write things which I felt were boring but I took each article as if I were writing it for the first time and finding a new reader and hoping it delivered the goods. While there isn’t much you can do to challenge the newness of a project, you can always challenge yourself to do better, to write it more precisely, etc… Thanks for weighing in and glad you like our slogan!

CK Lunchbox – Great comment, Ron. I am there with you for every word you said. One of the things which bothers me most about isolating myself for my art (and here I am also including my comics) is that I don’t have nearly enough time to network properly on the blogs I enjoy or even keep up with them! I once commented that I can either comment more or create more. While readers may enjoy interacting with an actual person, I think they also enjoy the content. The balance is VERY difficult because of the number of things I’m working on. If only one thing would take off like I want it to, it would liberate my time and allow me to properly enjoy the community I am part of. But yes, I worry that people think I’m a snob or selfish for not commenting on their blogs as much as they do mine.

As for your book, best of luck!

Vered – Writing for the web, and your writing in particular is neither short nor shallow. Though I suspect you were teasing.

Tumblemoose – Then may I suggest you find a good partner? Someone who is more creatively inclined, but maybe lacks the grammar chops that you possess, could be a good mix.

Amrit – Thank you for posting a response. Well said, though your advice does little to soothe my tortured writing soul. I can write other topics with ease, I wrote every day for a newspaper for three years – the torture was not prsent for that kind of writing. It is only for the fiction with me. And while it may be overblown and in my head, that doesn’t make it any less real or easier to move past.

The Word Seeker – I hope your writing delivers you from the misery. Thank you for the comment.

Sean – This might be the first time we have disagreed on a matter, which yes, does make for an interesting post, you sunshine farting Care Bear, you.

Frank – I agree, you don’t HAVE to be tortured. I think it varies from person to person and whatever works for you, definitely embrace it.

Marelisa – I agree. And for me, the writing experience is different depending on the work, as I explained above. Thanks for sharing the story.

cindy – I am tortured by Sean’s ability to outeat me yet remain skinny. The bastard. Also, I would like to fart gloomy clouds

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I guess the moral of the story is that the writing experience is different for everyone. I really liked both of these articles, it was a really good idea to write about the two contrasting points of view.

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