The write way

I miss writing.

I realize that I'm writing right now, but this isn't the kind of writing I miss. I miss the sort of deep, sustained, thoughtful writing I was able to do over the summer, the kind of writing that keeps me at the keyboard through lunch and supper and creates enough momentum to keep the thoughts rolling for days on end.

I keep telling myself that I'll get back to that sort of writing soon--as soon as I finish this next committee report, grade these papers, wash the dishes, fold the laundry, take the dog for a walk...and meanwhile, what little writing time I have comes in little chunks with a lot of distractions pressing in on all sides, so it's fragmentary, brief, ephemeral--like this.

And this.

I guess what I need is some time off with no distractions. Four-day break comes up this weekend and it looks as if I'll have about 80 exams to grade in between attending a wedding and doing some yard work. So the goal will be to get all of Thursday's exams graded on Friday and all of Friday's exams graded before the wedding on Saturday so I'll have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday relatively free.

Can I do it? I need to try--because I need to write.