Writing Is Hard Work

I've taken a break from posting items here for a bit but it's not because I've stopped writing. I've just changed my focus a bit, attempting to work on some other writing projects including some short stories and fiction. What I've learned, among other things, is that writing can be very hard work - from the beginning of an idea, to research, to the development of characters, to the composition of text. And yes, it's all work. I don't think it matters if it's poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction or news reporting. It all takes effort and research. So it goes and it has taken me away from posting here as well as other things.

Reading on the other hand is a real joy. It's easy and fun. We tend to do it almost without thinking - from billboards to novels with lots of other options in between. Few of us however spend very much time thinking about the effort that goes into the writing.  Putting pen to paper, or in reality in today's world, keystrokes to screens, can be a daunting task. There are interruptions, other things that need to get done and the formation of concepts, ideas and characters. It is so much easier to just read what others have created or said. But of course for the writer, that takes the fun out of it.