Writing Is Kind Of Like Knitting

 

This is my latest knitting project; oh how lovely it is to have neat, identical rows! :D

    Writing is kind of like knitting. It's an artful craft that takes lots of practice, time, and care. Both are also useful and interesting skills that bring accomplishment and make great gifts for others.
    Although, if you're a writer or a knitter, you know how boring either craft can sometimes get.
    Especially when you've been working on a long project. Hand-knit cardigans and scarves are beautiful masterpieces, but they can take days and sometimes weeks to finish. Likewise, writing a novel takes endless hours of planning, daydreaming, and typing/handwriting. It can really tire a brain out! And sometimes a person just gets plain tired of doing something that seems (at the moment) monotonous. Another long row of the same stitches, one more chapter already plotted out . . . And the crafty part of our brains begins to direct its talents towards brainstorming ways to find a shortcut. That sweater can just be a short vest, can't it? This story might be more suitable as a short story rather than a novel . . .
    Then there's the diligent part of the mind that shouts: "Don't ditch the sleeves!" "It's not a good idea to cut a story down just to get it over with!"
    And when that voice is heeded and the project is completed thoroughly, I've found that it's totally worth it in the end. In fact, the days of sameness and perseverance are what make it even greater of an accomplishment. You know what I mean?
    Does anyone out there knit or crochet? :)