A Whole Lot of Staring

I'm amazed at how much staring is involved in the writing process. I start with a blank sheet of paper or a blank Word document and a stare at it. A good amount of it is just searching for any kind of idea that would be interesting enough to write about. After a whole lot of staring, I start feeling self-conscious, so I start adding small, insignificant things like headings or formats. And then it's right back to staring.

If I actually do get an idea, then the next thing I do is stare more. Now I'm staring into nothing because I'm trying to think of how to cultivate the idea. Where did it come from, where does it go, how do I word everything just right? It isn't until I get a few lines that I actually start writing any of it down.

If I'm lucky, I keep on writing. More often, I have to go back to staring, repeating the whole process of coming up with ideas and crafting them just right. If I am having to come up with ideas that I have not previously been thinking of, I will usually spend far more time staring than writing (which is probably why I have no injuries from writing or typing too much).

Everybody's process is different; this is just mine. If you have the same process, then you may also feel like you're wasting your time with all of the staring you get done. It is a frustrating feeling, but know that your mind is working. If you don't spend time just staring and thinking, you may never get any thinking done. And if that happens, then you will be even less productive than you usually are.