True quote of the day...

A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket.

-Charles Peguy


Some people just seem to have it so easy. They breathe poetry, they write it on their hands, on scraps of paper in their pockets, on the backs of envelopes. It flows out of them like water. Jon Foreman writes a song a day in a little notebook he keeps in his pocket. They're not all good songs, but they're songs and he's writing them. For some people, the inspiration and the phrases are ever-present and must be written.

For others, writing is a constant struggle. While it's the best and most beautiful action, these writers have to fight to do it. Life seems to be constantly conspiring against them, turning their attention to other-life duties such as grocery shopping, phone calls home, and commuting. Writing is so much, but it's often last, unless a purposeful decision is made and life is constantly reorganized.

These two types of writers could be what Peguy is speaking of. Or he could be highlighting the differences between tone of writers. Some writers are heavily emotional, confessional, and heart-wrenching. Every word is thick with passion and pain, often attempting to put an abstract emotion into our poor words. Other writers are more grounded, more earthy, tending to record life as it stands and just touching upon higher concepts. These writers can be seen as more accessible to the general public, as their writing does not have to be deciphered so much as simply read.

There are all types. I'm sure each writer wishes at one point or another to trade spots with her opposite, but hey, all types are good. I think there's something to be said for looking at your opposite, finding the worth in what and how they communicate, and doing your best to develop skills on both sides. Obviously, I think procrastination shouldn't be practiced, but at the same time, there is a value in the struggle.


Update: I've been doing some writing lately. I have an interview for the Journal article I am doing this weekend, which means I need to do some organic farm research so I don't sound like an idiot. I also posted my entry for the Don Miller contest that ends in two days, which is why it doesn't appear that I posted yesterday. I kind of hid it because it's...I don't know why I hid it. It's in plain sight, so read it if you wish. I'm sleepy tonight because I've been working out and completely nullifying any workout I do by eating enormous amounts of sugar. Also, Roommate and I put together a cabinet tonight. It was empowering.