Writing Discomfort

Those who read this post regularly know that I enjoy time riding my bicycle. I do a lot of distance riding (often while mentally clearing out my head), and I will let you in on a few secrets. First, it's not for everyone - I get that. Second, it is very much a seasonal sport, so I can't do it all the time. And most importantly, it is often very uncomfortable. Let's face it - it's exercise, which means it takes a physical toll, it is a very repetitive motion, and sometimes the back just needs to be in a different position than hunched over the bike as I go zooming along the country roads. It's a world of fun for me, but it's not the most comfortable way to exercise.

This discomfort is one of the reasons it is difficult for me to recruit a lot of my friends to join me on little rides around the neighborhood. I wouldn't take them on my usual long rides - they would die, and I don't like killing my friends. However, only a few will go riding with me. The rest of them just aren't in that kind of space, don't want to be in that space, or plain old aren't interested. I don't take it personally. Cycling is my thing and I don't demand conformity from those around me. However, on a recent ride (all by myself), something clicked about how this all connected with why I write and how I approach certain things.

One of the most common themes in any type of narrative writing is discomfort, and the same goes for writers. Now, work with me on this. Whenever someone takes the bold step of writing a story, they are entering an uncomfortable place. They are using skills that may not be very developed, trying things they've never done before, and venturing forward with utterly no clue about what exactly they have to do. They go into a very uncomfortable place, and in doing so, they grow. Just as any story character becomes that much more interesting when they take that awkward first step into the unknown, writers do the same thing. And for us people watching this happen, there's something fascinating about it. We are drawn to seeing people move out of their comfort zone and move forth with trembling hands into the unknown.

Of course, the first attempt isn't that impressive, and this applies for writers, their writing, the characters, or that first cycling trip. However, that new experience usually results in a positive step forward. None of those worst fears come true, no horrible fate awaits that person. If anything, they learn from it, they grow from it, and maybe - just maybe - they stand a little taller. They feel a little more confident. They want to write more, take another step into the unknown, or cycle a little farther than last time. When we see this, it's wonderful. When we experience it for ourselves, it's terrifyingly exciting. Possibly addictive. Definitely worth doing again.

I cycled 75 miles in one day and it wrecked me, so I learned my limits for the time being. I wrote a novel that turned out to be a flabby bunch of crap, but I became a better writer (Full disclosure: That novel is being rewritten). And I have helped people take that step into the writing unknown, and watched them blossom into real authors. I can't take credit for their talent, obviously, but I can definitely watch in wonder as they continue on that journey, that is, at its core, kind of uncomfortable.