Talking to real people

Yesterday Ellie and I went on a long walk with friends. (Frog stayed at home nursing the remains of cold/flu.) As you may know from the blog so far, I don’t find socialising easy, but this was my sort of thing – plodding through mud in wind and rain – and a bit of sun.

    ‘How’s the writing going?’ asked James.

    I launched into a long tale of my woes – being stuck, bad reviews, wondering if it was all a waste of time.

    He thought for a bit and then he said, ‘I think everyone feels like that at times, whatever their job.’

    That made me feel so much better. I wasn't some freak. I was normal. Writing wasn't some peculiar self-indulgence. It was just a job.

    And another thing that made me feel better was the fact that we all found social networking sites a waste of time. I had been beginning to wonder if I was the only person in the world who didn’t have a Facebook page. 

    ‘And it’s all so egocentric,’ said Simone.

    That got me thinking about this blog. I started it for several reasons. Firstly, as a way to record my writing progress so that I could learn from my ups and downs. Secondly, to keep myself up to the mark: calling it ‘a writer’s diary’ means that I have to write.

    And there’s a third reason, which I’ve only just recognised now as I write this. It’s a way to talk about what matters to me. Not everyone understands about writing. Few people do, in fact. I probably don’t myself. And I spend far too much time alone. So this blog is a dialogue with an imaginary listener.
    Is that egocentric? I don't know. Perhaps I would be better getting out and talking to real people.