If you let yourself be fucked up by anything the inevitable will happen.

I think writing trivialities is the most important thing actually.

Not to say that the having written of the trivial is the greatest outcome there is.

But I know that writing down my trivialities serves me well. It's like they get processed a different way instead of having to have them tumble around in my head incessantly.

Just like a picture is worth a thousand words.

a trivial thought written down is worth the same as that triviality flashing in your head for a thousand days.


i retain the thousand measure just for pastische sake but actually it's probably like 1:200 days or so.

so you can either think a lingering thought for 200 days or you can write it down and have just as much processing and departing-from done in that one day.

I think what gets people though is they require permission. Not just in writing but this applies to everything.

They're not willing to do something unless some immediate validation for some action taken.

That's why I notice people when they first start writing online like here or back in the good ole

200WAD

they begin excited with these trivialities. Just life thoughts.

But that doesn't last for most because most people are not interested in their trivialities. They began writing them and sharing them simply because they wnted someone else to tell them they had good thoughts or that what they're going through is meaningful.

This is the biggest lie.

Your trivialities are important.

If it helps to share them with others then share.

but in the long run your trivialities are priceless only to you.

and until you accept that, they will linger for longer than they would had you confront them yourself.

writing is one way of confrontation but not the only way.

lol reading your experience of penpals going from a high amount to dwindling to so few reminds me of you're experience with online writing communities... going from 

200WAD

 when it seemed like one giant family -- for a short bit of time -- to whatever you have now.

Even if the people in it are fictional, a well fleshed-out character will just feel like somebody I didn't know before but now I do. There are memorable characters, there are forgettable ones; some you like, some you dislike, just like the people you meet in real life. 

I felt that.

This is big to admit. I think it's something you've been circling around this year. I think back in the 

200WAD

 you would've never even dared even to consider the idea of preferring reading to writing.

While reading this I thought for moments that it was me who was writing this welcome letter to you. Funny that it was you writing to yourself. 

Do you remember Seun from the old days of 

200WAD

 

BTW if you're reading 

Americanah

than I shall start reading it too. I tried to in the past but never got around to it in the 

200WAD

days.

we can have discussions about it!

drewb

 you need a book reccomendation? 

Don't you remember gabriel? The first comment you sent me at 

200WAD

that started our writership?

Are you me?

Haha glad to know you liked Gabriel's post so much. I can honor that request. I like this post a lot too. In fact out of Gabriel's writing, this series is one of my favorites. I've gotten more out of it as a reader from 7 parts than I did probably 30-40 of his other writing on here and throughout 

200WAD

. Hopefully he's gotten a lot out of it as a writer as well.

drewb

 might find this a good read.

Yeah my perspective and interests here differ than back at 

200WAD

.

Back then I actually didn't mind if the community was lacking because to me 1 on 1 relationships were more important. At the end of the day I knew that I would still have my relationships with you, 

keni

, 

seun

, and 

dealingwith

 

but now i curiously wonder though. Not in a 

ego

defending manner but honest 

curiosity

...

At what point do you believe the community was strongest and why? What made it that way? I know as a fiction writer your answer will differ from the more common user.

You and I had a similar relationship regarding recognition and motivation on 

200WAD

. 

I do feel like you and I have hit a new stride with writing though. More deliberate and enjoyable. More motivated by longterm improvement. Difficult to describe while we're in it right now but in retrospect it'll be more clear. 

Nice. Probably one of your best posts I've ever seen both across 

200WAD

and 

Adagia

 

What makes it good is flipping a common idea on its head and suggesting a new thought that is both interesting and useful

I remember you writing about this example on

200WAD

. Reading it now I agree with Seun that it is hilarious. What you said is funny!! 

But then I wonder... if you don't think that that's funny when is a situation when you thought you were being funny?

Haha I wasn't ignoring it. I was going to reply in a full post.

I've never ignored Keni! There's even things from

200WAD

days that I still need to respond to from her haha.

I wrote this though, Seun, with the idea that maybe there is no such thing as who we are. Who we are is just our best attempt at snapshotting a more complex thing that is actually alive --> who we are becoming. 

I'll write more on this later once the idea is developed.

Ha well with nonfiction I got a lot of practice because of

200WAD

. Without it I don't think I would've ever even gotten into it at all.

I also like your idea of having two people assigned as readers. Not only because it would provide insurance in case of absenteeism but also to get more perspective.

You have read three times the same text. Nothing has changed. i think reading on your own time vs reading while the writer is waiting on you makes a difference. I always find I can read something more easily and less anxiously if I don't have to worry about the writer perceiving me reading their work.

This is one thing that I think would be better about such writing clubs: to have the deadline a day or two before and then have people read before showing up.

---

I appreciate your observations though. You listing lines you ilke show me that you really got and understood what I was going for. There's a synergy between alll of those concepts and they weren't lost on you.

Reading your comment made me remember the feeling of having you read my fiction on

200WAD

. It really felt like i had a 'fan'. Hard to describe :) 

keni

I thoguht 

200WAD

did encourage deliberate practice. However it encouraged only the daily-input part... which is important. But I don't think it ever got to the point where it gave more 'guidelines'.

For the 

Echo and Narcissus

club a guideline we got was A writer we admire.

I believe that competitions/contests are trigger concepts. Just as it pumps you up to be a part of a contest it pushes people away -- remember 

jasonleow

? 

This is why I find being a part of this writing club so fascinating. I feel that I'm goaded into showing up more impressively -- and I know 

dealingwith

  feels this way as well just by reading what he's showing up with -- without being a contest.

When I think contest I think people competing against each other. With this club I feel like it's more us elevating our curiosity. Expanding our openness to what we're willing to do. 

Ha believe me it doesn't. I have practiced a lot and actually i need to practice more. Being in the 

Echo and Narcissus

club has been good for jumpstarting that because it gives me clear defined goals that I can work towards within a timebox.

Have you begun writing for Saturday's assignment?

Also thank you for this comment. It reminds me of the times when I used to write fiction on 

200WAD

and would love getting your comments on them ;)

Mmmm interesting. Long time ago during the 

200WAD

days, I remember 

brianball

talking about such games.

But yes this does seem right down your personality alley.

When Maggie told us to aim for 500 Words for next week I felt like you, 

keni

and I were well prepared (at least for the quantity portion) thanks to our old homeland of

200WAD

  haha. Good to have seen you two on video : )