The Writing Life Discussion Questions

1.  When I am stuck, I walk.  Walking clears my mind, slows everything down, and gets me breathing again.  But to start writing, my ritual is mainly mental.  I do not start writing until I am completely obsessed with my subject.  When I am writing for a formal purpose, I take in as much information as I can (taking notes as I go) until I can go no where and do nothing without somehow applying it to my writing topic.  And when I am writing for myself, I simply wait until something drives me crazy enough that it must come out of me.  If I don't wait until I am thinking about my topic constantly, then my writing will have no passion.  I must explode to write well.

2.  I think bearing walls are mostly social constructions.  Whether it be about form or subject, the writer is generally accountable for others' will.  A writer may be expected to express themselves in a form that is unsuitable.  This can challenge the writer and make them better because of it, but only if the writer can knock down the bearing walls enough to allow some room for themselves.  This is also the case when a writing topic has a socially excepted opinion.  The writer must find a way to knock down those ideas without alienating their readers.

3.  I guess I could say I wind up the bomb (think Wiley coyote with me here) and hope that it explodes at some point before my deadline.  I don't use a lot of metaphors in my writing.  Dillard's use of imagery and metaphors is beautiful and inspiring. I will work on my own use of descriptive language.

4.  I do share her mystical view of writing.  I think that you have to have a belief that it, good writing and expression, will come.  That you can do it.  I may have to research my ideas or become inspired by what I am reading, but the form of expression will just magically pop into my head. The expression can be a spiritual experience.

5.  I think Dillard is vague when she writes about writing because she wants to show her audience how to write.  Don't tell, show.  That is exactly what she does, she shows her inspiration, her inspiration "techniques," and her extraordinary ability to describe.