“Talking and eloquence are not the same: to speak, and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.”

Ben Jonson, Timber p.59

I figured I should start writing. It’s not easy. Generally, when people say they write, they mean they write a lot. Till now I have a few short stories under my belt, a few pieces that could make up longer stories and a vagabond army of reddit comments. I guess this was all practice. Now I will start actually writing.

But will I actually start writing? It’s a lot of work and there are a lot of lessons to take in. I already know that I have to be careful in what words I choose and where I put them. I also heard that it is important to write clearly.

Writing should also help me think more clearly. And when I think about writing, probably writing about what I am thinking will help me think. I noticed that when I think about something, I get into a loop of thoughts. Perhaps writing can help turn those loops into bullet points for use when I talk.

And if watching interviews of my favorite authors collectively taught me anything, it’s that experts express their views after they write them down. Without that, they are just talking heads, not actually speaking their mind. Perhaps we shouldn’t listen to anyone on TV that hasn’t written about it first. It’s audible if someone wrote about a topic because they speak more clearly.

I always try to write as if I am talking just for that reason. I am trying to communicate my thoughts clearly. It also helps me to have an inner voice narrate as I go. The inner me pauses with every period, with every comma, as well as with every backspace tap-tap-tap when my train of thought derails. He ponders my last move, takes a sip of whiskey, or perhaps puffs a cigar, and narrates along, in a voice more eloquent than my own.

In my mind he is in an armchair, facing away from me, in front of a fireplace of course (I allow my mind for a little bit of personal cliché). When I stop, he stops narrating, leans to one side, and impatiently states, “Well, what are you waiting for? It won’t write itself.”

So, I write. It’s not easy so far because my track record has been sporadic, at best. I don’t want to disappoint this time though. I’ll try to avoid clichés, or maybe limit myself to a couple per post (because I find them funny). And I know, I know, this is a lousy start to my writing marathon because it’s only 346 words long. But hey, as they say, it’s an important first step. And each journey begins with a single step.