Please Excuse this Writing Burp

Mid-summer is the quietest time of the year in France (except if you're on the coast or in the mountains). July vacationers haven't returned yet, and August holiday seekers have just left. It's not rare to find a sign hanging on a locked business door that reads: "Closed for holidays, we'll be back in a few weeks." Tracking summer schedules can be annoying, but it's good to take things slower.

When I sat down to write this post (five six days ago), I had no idea what I'd begin with.

My brain is a constant explosion of thoughts and connection-making; there were so many things I wanted to share with you. The problem was figuring out where to begin.

So I typed this:

Since then, I've written lots of words, probably a few thousand, but none of them feel right.

It's not because I'm out of practice. I got quite a bit of writing done in July, even while hosting family and doing home renovations. Of course, I skipped a few days and didn't always produce the output I wanted, but I can't say that I haven't been practicing regularly.

If there's one thing I've learned about writing (or anything you want to become good at) is that perseverance is important. So I figured I should keep trying to make this post work.

I’ve tried changing paragraphs around and using different angles, beginnings, and endings.

I’ve tried to walk away and return to it later.

But no matter what I try, nothing sits right. I'm incapable of communicating what I need to onto the page.

I don't know.

I can't figure it out.

Normally, I don't post for the sake of posting. In fact, it's one of my biggest Internet pet peeves. But writing is also about showing up to the words, for yourself and for others.

So here I am, showing up.

The words are a big jumble; it's extremely uncomfortable, and I need to let it out.

I think I'm experiencing a writing burp. Please excuse me while it passes.

A few things worth sharing

• TIL is nearing its one-year anniversary! I've learned a lot in the past year and look forward to sharing some of them with you soon. If there’s anything specific you’d like me to address, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!
• Last weekend, I took part in the second round of the Flash Fiction Challenge for #NYCMidnight2023. So far, it's been great fun! I'll be posting more about my experience, so be on the lookout.
• When you're bilingual, you sometimes miss the idiosyncrasies of a particular language. I love the illustrations that accompany this visual guide to Thinking and Speaking like a French Person.
• Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) talks about the shame of being a writer. It’s an old essay, but I think it's worth reading, especially if/when you hesitate to write.
• There was a time when some of the best-curated playlists came from soundtracks. One of my all-time favourites is from the film Garden State. It's the perfect summer album to set the mood for a road trip, friends' dinner or sunset gazing.

I’m looking forward to sharing some new stuff with you soon. If you have a question, comment, or suggestion, please reach out!

Happy writing, happy creating!

G.G. Law

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