(not writing)

Image | | andy townend

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway?
― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

atownend_2015_05_17_7364-Edit-Edit

 

(not writing) is both the the title of this post and also what, in the context of the WordPress Writing 101 course, on which I embarked a couple of weeks ago with the best of intentions, I have been doing or (not doing).

So, now, during my lunch break, over a crafty coffee, or hunched up on the train (yes, I am once more commuting to work by train rather than as a solitary occupant of an expensive pollutant on four wheels) I am playing catch up with last week’s posts.

I write but I am not a ‘writer’.

By day, I am a consultant in the media and telecommunications industry, something that pays the bills and, as it happens, involves a great deal of communication, both written and verbal. So, yes, I write a lot for a living, and have learned much from many who have tried to make me write in a crisper, clearer voice ‘can you try to use less flowery language’ or perhaps ‘if you can’t get that idea on to a single page you’re just going to lose them….’

But, I am not a ‘writer’.

Although, I want to be. Try to be. And will keep trying.

My first ‘real’ blog kicked off in the fall of 2011. That is when a little project called belgradestreets.com was born. A little project that, as they say, had legs. A project that gave me two published books of my photographs, two exhibitions (so far) and a documentary on Serbian Television. And an ambition to do more, a lot more, with my photographic aspirations.

That first project was the child of my lifelong passion for photography.

My photography is (one of the things) that I do when I am not consulting, (not writing), or anything else. When crafting pages for that blog, those first two books, I echewed words (I’m not a writer) and let my photos tell the story that I had in mind.

My second blogging project kicked off, again, as a photoblog, a place to share my feelings and views about living and working in Belgium that I called belgianstreets.com

This is also where I began to muck around with words. Still not writing, but not just pretty pictures either. Then, just over a year ago, I took part in the WordPress Photography 101 course and, not content with just posting pretty (or not) pictures, I began to stretch my writing muscles a little.

That, in a roundabout way, resulted in this blog. Not a platform from which to promote my photographic ambitions (yes, that’s another putative project in progress) and not a blog featuring a single place or theme. This blog is where I now do my (not writing). Earlier this year, I participated in two great WordPress courses. Writing 201 in which I published some quite dreadful poetry, and Writing 101 which, of course, I took part in later to learn how (not) to write.

And so, here I am, still (not writing).

And, if you are still here, and if you did, thank you for reading, I really do appreciate it.

This post was written in response the the prompt for Day 9 of the WordPress Writing 101 course in which we were asked to write about what we do when we are not writing. In addition, we were asked to plan to interview a fellow writer, more about that in due course.

23 thoughts on “(not writing)”

  4. I really enjoy your photography (that is how I discovered you in the first place, and I will forever owe to WordPress that brought me to you and your snaps that now hold parts of my soul and my city that are forever torn down, like that beautiful Terazije scene recreated behind my home, that is on the cover of your book and is no longer there, only a wasteland that I, a handful of others and your book only will remember forever.), but I do enjoy your writing too. I know everyone has advice to give you, and everyone will always have a personal literary thirst for quenching, so forgive me for throwing my dropplets to into the ocean: just write freely 🙂

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  5. Oh less flowery, really?! The beauty of language need not be stifled. And you can quote me 😉. As a scientist, I understand what they’re saying and it’s something that I’ve had to work against. I did a job application a few years ago, not your usual application, I had to write a little bit mainly answers to questions. I ran it by my old boss who is the Director at a research institute and he said – you’ve been out of science for 7-8 years but you still write like a scientist. I vowed then to change my style. Keep up your gorgeous flowery prose Andy, I love it.

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  7. Well I would argue quite vehemently against your description, “quite dreadful poetry”. I think your talents–writing and photography–are Brilliant; otherwise, I wouldn’t still call myself “your #1 fan” (from “Misery”)–and I’m safely at a distance, so no fears of “hobbling”!

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  8. Jaoo, these comments are barely visible, would need to highlight them to be able to read them. But I’m glad that I found this. I don’t write as well. We’re the best! Looking forward to (not) reading you in the future!

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  9. For someone “mucking around with words,” you do a fabulous job! “If my muck were as good, ” she chirped, “then I’d be clean, but still need rubber boots because mine have flowers!”
    Enjoying your writing 101 posts!

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