I managed to get one post a week out most weeks; it's only been in the last month or two, where things have slowed to a trickle, if at all.
There have been dry spells before and my schedule certainly doesn't lend itself to writing space right now. I tend to like solitude and a good chunk of time, even if I don't use it or even don't plan to use it all. I don't write well if I don't think I'll have enough time to do it.
In all honesty, though, that's probably an excuse. I graduated college 4th in my class and did almost everything at the last minute all four years and was consistently praised for my writing.
I'm guessing the bigger deal is passion. I still have a lot of things to say, but I think the season of my life where they come out in brief (or not so brief) little spurts may be over - at least for now. Typically, when I'd get passionate about something (either positively or negatively) I'd start a post. Sometimes I'd finish it; other times I'd leave it to finish later, but I usually had a wealth of material. In fact, I do still have a few unfinished bits lying around in the queue, waiting for inspiration to strike.
I've been a little less emotional lately, though. I gave up on being outraged at Trump in the fall. I wrote one last sarcastic tweet about how he's the kind of guy who needs to be ignored rather than challenged and I have felt perfectly fine following that advice since. I'll still comment on a issue or a topic here or there (I've been saying all along this meeting with North Korea will never happen and has been a sham since the beginning), but I think I pushed through the wall of expecting anything out of government. I've been saying (and writing here) for a long time that Christians need to be an alternative way of life and not get so caught up in the machinations of empires and elections - perhaps this is just my next evolution of trying to embody that idea.
I read the Jim Comey book last week. It was excellent.
I thought about writing a review* - and may still do it - but that kind of writing just doesn't have the same interest to me in this season of life. I had been trying to keep up the two post a week pace mostly out of pride. I wanted to prove I could do it - stick with something that's so hard for so many others (especially when I don't make any money doing it). In the end, I had to decide that life was a little more important than my ego.
I do still want to write for the discipline. I'm hoping to spend the next few months working on a book proposal - I feel a real calling at this point to explore a longer, more organized collection of my thoughts on theology, Christianity, and life; and I want to make a real effort at it - but I also aim to keep up a once a week blog pace. I think writing a short piece (without much editing) once a week is entirely doable and will accomplish all of my goals without stretching me too thin. I don't know if the tone or tenner will change much - and I'm publicly committing to this at the beginning of a summer where I'll be on the road and away from home for six weeks or more (check out Fastest48 and our website), but I'm going to try.
And, yes, I recognize this both counts as a post and a cop out, since I wrote about posting, but it'll have to do for now - my wife is a stressed out librarian at the end of the school year and she needs my help.
*I still love history and it's amazing how much of recent US history this guy was right in the middle of. The book is entirely without political bent or comment - he does tend to praise Obama and critique Trump, but it's more about how they build relationships and make decisions; it's very much a leadership book. While I suspect Comey glosses over his own faults a little too carefully, it's humble, straightforward, and well-written. The year isn't half over yet, but it's the best book I've read so far.
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