Why Would I Write

  • Music for Writing

    When I think of habits, the first thing that comes to mind is bad. Bad habits. But then I realized, not all habits have to be bad. What is a habit?

    According to Google:

    noun

    1. a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

    “he has an annoying habit of interrupting me”

    While most habits can be considered neutral, the obvious ones aren’t. Smoking, biting your nails, forcing yourself to vomit after each meal can be objectively classified as bad. Eliminating such habits should improve your life.

    I’ve written in the past about conditioning myself to work with a cup of coffee and a cigarette. The coffee isn’t harmful (though it gets pricey in the long run) but the cigarette probably is. However, I get work done more efficiently. Does the good cancel the bad?

    Imagine if I cut out the bad habits, I’d be able to churn out work without relying on caffeine and nicotine. I’d save money and have healthier lungs while being extremely productive all the time! No way that could work, right? Life is all about balance and without the bad, there can’t be good. I’m a mere human being trying to live a balanced life.

    What started as a way to keep me up when covering events in a different time zone turned into a key aspect of my daily routine. What started as a form of amusement while sloshed in nightclubs is why my insurance premium costs a little more. 

    We’re two-hundred words in on a post titled “Music for Writing”, George. When are you going to approach the topic? Now, I guess.

    It began when I was thinking of what to write about on my blog. I had just finished my coffee and cigarette for the evening. I put on a random playlist from my “writing music” folder and stared at the blank page in front of me.

    What is “writing music”? For me, it consists of relaxing music with no or minimal vocals. When I listen to music that I know the words to, I can’t help but sing along (it might be a disease), which distracts me from writing. By listening to music with no words, it’s literally impossible for me to sing along so I don’t get distracted. Therefore I have many playlists of such songs. I was going to share about that.

    While still staring at the blank page, I noticed my legs shaking to the music playing in my ears. Which got me thinking about habits and thus, a new post was born. This was more interesting than what I initially planned anyway. The joys of freestyle writing.

    Here’s a poem I wrote for #NPRPoetry last year which you might have missed:

    it starts with a spark
    a parting of lips
    I hold you close
    and draw you in
    my heart beats faster
    I feel dizzy
    for that brief moment
    time stops
    everything is okay
    I exhale
    and do it all over again

    It has been over a decade since I started inhaling cancer sticks and consuming coffee. Here’s to many more years of productivity!

  • Tardiness

    “Do you ever wonder about the tardiness of people? You know when you’re in traffic, and you see another car on the emergency lane, skipping lights, and putting everyone’s lives in danger – do you ever wonder why?” asked Captain Prompt.

    “I do sometimes. Maybe they’ve got somewhere to go, somewhere to be, and they’re willing to risk their lives because it is that important.”

    “But sometimes they might just be assholes who don’t give a shit about everyone around them.”

    “Yes, that too. Like Ronny.”

    “What about him?”

    “He comes in late for his shift sometimes, and you know, since I’m a guard, I can’t really leave my post til he’s here, so I have to wait for him. That makes me late to pick up my kids, and I have to get an earful from their teacher and then from my wife when I get home.”

    The security guard of the theater continued, “I know! I’ve brought this up with Ronny many times and at first, he became more punctual. But after a few weeks, he slipped into his routine again. The manager can’t let him go because it’s not late enough according to the rules, but it’s a pain in the ass for me!”

    “I feel you,” replied Captain Prompt. “I’m doing the same thing right now. Waiting for our dear villains to show up.”

    “What are you going to do to them? Do you need my assistance? I can help you out while it’s still my shift.”

    “That depends on when they will show up.”

    “Shoot, looks like you’ll have to work with Ronny, I should be gone by then.”

    Captain Prompt stood at the entrance of the theater and looked around for something to do. “Guess, I’ll just grab myself some coffee and catch up on my tweets.”

    “It’s going to be a while, the Grand Wizard hasn’t even arrived yet.”

    “I’ll be waiting.”

    Writing Prompt from Reddit: [MP] Rather than “just in the nick of time”, the hero shows up 4 hours early, and awkward smalltalk ensues

  • Raging Inside Me

    “All memory of your existence will be wiped from reality. You will die, and no one will mourn.”

    “And that is how I would like it to be.”

    “No, wait – then why would this be your punishment? That doesn’t make sense – you’re not supposed to get what you want!”

    “Well, it’s too late now, I’m here and you have to obliterate me.”

    “No, there must be a mistake…”

    “I assure you, it isn’t. Now, erase me.”

    God looked me in my eyes – I had him in a bind. He couldn’t break his own rules or the universe including himself would cease to exist. I had already set my plans in motion, this was the final step. Too bad I wouldn’t be around to indulge in the aftermath.

    The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.

    Writing Prompt from Reddit: [DP] “All memory of your existence will be wiped from reality. You will die, and no one will mourn.”