The Timing is Now

In one of my classes, a gifted writer and poet stated that she wanted to take some more classes before she started writing in earnest. This was a few days ago. I looked up from the class notes, and told her that everything she needed to know was already at her command in her head. She knew everything she needed to know to write now. I reminded her of the book, "The Alchemist" by Paul Coelho and how this was one of the stumbling blocks in achieving your dream or as Joseph Campbell said, finding your bliss.

I remember a short time ago being in the same place. I was looking for a class or a book and discovered that I had read the books that I was looking at, and I had more training than the instructors in the only class I found in my area. What was I waiting for? I did not need anymore training? I just needed to sit down in front of the computer and write. Of course, it helps to read. It always helps to read authors you like.

Now that I live in a country where books in English are a rarity, I can't even do that; so there are no excuses for not writing. I now write the stories that I want to read. I have no choice. There is no television to watch although there is Internet Radio music to listen to. I find I enjoy writing now more than ever. Writer's block? That has gone.

I am hoping that I can convince the student to drop the desire to take more classes for she really has the gift now. She can write well in Korean and in English. She is in circumstances that are really conductive to starting a writing career. The timing is now. It is for all of us.

Many writers had no training, no education, no computer, no typewriter, just the desire. Waiting for tomorrow is an excuse to say "if only I had this" when everything you need is right here. The universe will do everything to help you in your desires and there are no shortages of writers regardless of what others say. There are no shortages of poets either.

Catch-Up

Much has happened since my last post here. I have three other blogs, but I write them as if the other ones do not exist. The one thing that has remain consistent is that I have continued to write although not necessarily on a computer but in notebooks and in my handwritten journal and I have continued to read.

I now have my own place and this change has been wonderful. I still teach at an university as a visiting professor which still tickles my vanity. I really like the students and things seem to be going well. I have an off and on relationship with a special student and that seems to be on at the moment. I live and teach in Daejeon, Korea and the one student goes to another university in Daejeon as well. I am required to go to Seoul to teach him English on the weekend which I will be doing this weekend. I stay with one family who are very nice.

I was staying with the student's family in Daejeon which did not work at all. I guess I am too set in my ways to adjust to someone else's style of living. There were other things that I could not tolerate and so I was able to move along with help from family from the United States. I love my new place although much smaller than the more larger and more affluent place that I was living in. Slowly, I fixed it up to my liking. I walk to work four days a week which is great for my health.

The point was I was very unhappy in that I had no money and I could not get paid from where I was working. What really helped in this transitional stage was my writing. Every morning I took out my journal and wrote. I worried about finding other blank journals to write in as I was running out, but as luck would have it I found another one in my luggage that I forgot that I put in. I had given one to my special student. Then I found a source for other blank journals that I will use when I run out. It is a British owned store called Home Plus. They have many blank journals to chose from.

The lack of writer's block still amazes me. Since I had a weight problem, I am surprised to see that is not a problem here either. I bought a scale at Home Plus that measures my loss in stones which is fun. That is coming along too. I got my Alien Registration Card which means I could get a bank account and I could get paid which I did.

Korea is a beautiful country that I am still trying to learn. There are language problems and certainly cultural problems. I am like a bull in a China shop as far as that is concerned, but I am learning.

Lack of Writer's Block

This i s a short post since I am on a borrowed laptop. I have been writing and the writer's blockthat has been plagueing me has since disappeared. I have been writing by hand in notebooks since I have not had a lap top. I have one now and will be setting up a new apartment in the new few weeks. It has Internet service.

I also have not stopped writing in my journal. I have been using the English Library and soon will be able to use my Sony Reader. I was not able to re-charge the battery as I could not use the school computers to do that. I have been reading books that I could get my hands on andthen writing on what I have been learning. I have been learning a lot from Virginia Woolf.

There is advantages and disadvantages to every situation. This is certainly true with what is happening in my life now. I will write later. I am in Seoul and will be leaving for Daejeon shortly.