Which is probably why I haven't started anything new for four years. Not only does it take a commitment of time and energy, it takes a commitment of concentration and organization. Currently, I want to write a non-fiction book about beneficence, and haven't quite found a place to start. As I have more time to focus, I realize the major drawback to my writing is getting back in the habit. Unlike sitting in the sun, writing requires putting abstractions into meaningful sentences and threading the sentences together with enough detail that other people have the same reference points that I needed to come up with my ideas to begin with.

Just writing stream of consciousness ideas doesn't get me anywhere. In fact, I think that might even encourage the lazy habit of not thinking through an idea. It occurs to me that my internal dialog doesn't consist of sentences at all, but just general ideas highlighted by nouns and verbs, but not at all ready in a form to convey the idea to someone else's brain via writing. Perhaps that is why writing is attributed to focusing one's thoughts. Without putting the ideas in sentence form, they just float through the consciousness like pollen that floats through the spring air, but never fertilizes a seed.

One thing that writers must do is consistently, relentlessly write. I can understand why this is a good exercise. After putting daily thoughts through the rigors of prose, finding a way to express a genuine idea is a cinch. So, Jerry has set up my computer by our kitchen window so I can sit around in the sun and write. I'm writing in the sun now, so ha!