Writing about writing

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

- Benjamin Franklin -

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I spent most of yesterday writing and despite knowing I'd see words in my sleep, I felt happy with what I'd produced.

The writing wasn't for Hive, I am working on a book, a collection of my life-events presented as someone else's life; so, a fiction of sorts, but based on fact. There's a lot of me in there of course, I draw directly from my thoughts and attitudes felt and created through the events I lived through and I'm ok with injecting so much of me there, the reader will not know...well, most readers won't know.

It made me think about the act of writing and the way I connect words together to mean something, to deliver a message or concept and to take the reader away from their point in space and time and into somewhere they may not ever experience in real life. I also write for myself too and that, together with the processes of developing storyline, characters and situations is something I derive immense amounts of pleasure from. A hobby? Nah, it's more an essential element of life.

The last book I wrote was over 440,000 words the creation of which took me over a year of working on it almost every day for hours. The first? I was five years old, sick in bed, and wrote a book for a school writing contest about the days of the week. Sure, it was very simplistic but it was something that stuck with me for decades and, clearly, something I still enjoy; the writing I mean.

I've put some images of the first book I wrote into this post. It's a riveting story about the days of the week. I actually illustrated the book myself also...I know, I'm multitalented. Each of the images is what I look like on those corresponding days of the week, even to this day. The book won a prize and was put in the library for people to borrow...one person borrowed it, the stap is in the back, but that doesn't matter, the creation of it was the reward.

I've been writing on Hive now since June 2017 and have enjoyed it; there's a lot of me in my posts for those who care to look between the lines, however generally it's a little lighter, more generic, than what I write for my book or simple enjoyment. That doesn't mean it's any less valuable though (to me), writing on Hive has helped me get some things at arms length so I can see them better and that has helped me process thoughts which is a powerful thing; beneficial too.

I don't have trouble finding or thinking up things to write about; I'm active in life and in thought so generally have something to write about although I know many people seem to struggle with content.

It's for that reason I began the #weekend-engagement concept...that, and also to get people engaging with each other more. I've been doing it every week for three years, (the three year anniversary is coming up next week actually), and I've enjoyed it as, seemingly, many others have too. People turn up each week so I guess at least those people enjoy it, and I'm glad because I've seen some excellent posts and also watched the progression of people's writing and that's been enjoyable for me to watch.

Of course, along with that element has come account progression for many people and some have pushed their accounts onward and upward through their consistently better posting no matter where on the blockchain their posts landed. It's pretty cool. I love seeing people enjoying their writing process.

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So, I thought I'd ask you folks about writing, and more specifically, writing on Hive.

Do you find enjoyment in the process of writing here like me or do you simply do so for the financial rewards you may receive? Does the writing process come easily to you and do you find topics easy to come up with or do you struggle with coming up with content? Maybe you have some content or writing tips you could share for others...Either way, feel free to drop a comment below if you're keen.