I had this English Composition class back in high school where every few days we would have to do a “quick write”. Basically… well, not even “basically”, this is the sum-total of what the exercise was: you have 10 minutes to write about any subject that comes to mind off the top of your head. You are not allowed to stop writing; and, if you can’t think of anything you must write “I don’t know what to write” over and over again until you do.

I don’t know what to write.
I don’t know what to write.
I don’t know what to write.

I almost never didn’t know what to write, and I only say “almost never” because I can’t remember exactly. I do remember, or see in my mind’s eye, me scribbling this phrase down a few times, but I think I did so because I finally figured out that you could do so without punishment, and I wondered what it felt like to get away with not being creative. But then I remember picking up where I left off on whatever anecdote or story I was telling, and only got out “I don’t know what to write” two or three times.

These blog posts are like perpetual quick-writes. Granted, sometimes I spend a lot of time going over what I’m trying to say, or I’ve been thinking all day about something and have been mentally composing for most of the day. I’ve always done that, by the way… mentally compose. Long before I had a blog I would write down journal enttries, or stories, or grocery lists, or whatever compositional something it was, having already thought about it earlier. I do the same with pending conversations. I do the same with imaginary conversations. So, despite what I said in the previous post, I have a pretty good idea of what I’ll say to Jennifer Love Hewitt when I run into her at the Walgreens… it still won’t be smooth, though.

As an aside, has everyone out there found what they’re looking for?