This has been the recurring pattern of my attempts at writing. I’ll get started with a brief introduction that inevitably spills over into a misguided attempt to lay out my entire political philosophy in one go, before attempting to pare it back. I’ll publish a few articles, seemingly at random. In the background, I’ll have a dozen or so ideas for a post that evolve into small booklets of political theory or modern history or whatever. I then wander away as the travails of everyday life consume me (or rather, I use them as a convenient excuse and escape route from actually doing any writing).
In this case, there was a legitimate concern. I was hired on to a new job that promised to be rather demanding in the coming months, while also struggling with both a severe mental health episode and (possibly connected) some physical health issues. So I decided to focus on my job, to make sure I was doing my best to advance my career, and not neglecting my actual work.
In that, I was unsuccessful and was let go from the company for not being where I needed to be at this point in the calendar. Which, as you can imagine, did wonders for my mental health.
But you know what? There are plenty of crazy writers out there, plenty of writers with other jobs, other obligations. They push through it, and damn it, so will I.
Beginning next week, my goal is to write and publish something new every day. Initially, this will be in the form of “takes”; responding to current events in politics, culture, foreign affairs, and economics. (Starting out, to try and keep it simple, I’ll likely stick to domestic politics and culture; economics and foreign affairs run the risk of me going too far afield.) Over time, I’ll also add in responses to other essays, articles, and books. Finally, when I’ve got some of my old writing chops back, I’ll try to work on longer form essays around political philosophy and theory.
The latter is what I’m drawn to naturally, but more often than not, I bite off more than I can chew. What I imagine to be a short essay turns into a sprawling and loosely connected booklet, a Frankenstein’s Monster of sewn together ideas, full of intellectual cul de sacs, with nary a footnote nor justification. (The problem with being a college dropout is I never learned how to write. This may also be an advantage.)
As for perspective, I have a tendency towards navel gazing when it comes to political “ideology,” as it were. Suffice to say, my point of view is that of a radical, and my observations on current affairs will come from a radical analysis of our present society.
With all this being said, I can only ask for patience. While I’ve been called a gifted writer since childhood, I’ve never once been called a disciplined writer, which is what I’m trying to achieve. There will certainly be bumps in the road, but I will carry on as best I can if I ever want to make this work.
Here’s to a fresh start.