I've been tossing around a lot of ideas as to what I should write on this week. The answer is still not clear, but since deadline is quickly approaching here's a little taste of my thought process for the past day or so.
Write About Something Relevant
"Hey, you're from Oregon, and you like politics sometimes, why don't you write about this whole #OregonUnderAttack thing?" Well, the problem is, to write an article about that is actually worth anything, you'd have to do a lot of research and figure out a unique angle. Since there have already been journalists on all possible sides talking about it, I don't really think that my personal opinion would change anything that much.
So, in lieu of actually writing and thinking, I just tweeted about it.
Write About A Recent Movie
Yes, I saw The Hateful 8 in 70 mm film projection. It was really good, but I don't want to write about it until I've seen it again and had time to think about it, especially given its heavy-handed approach to racism that both simplifies complex issues and situates them as part of our nation's distant path, not as moving parts in our modern world.
Right now, it's my third favorite Tarantino movie behind Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown. Go figure.
Write About a Less Recent Movie?
Earlier this week I rewatched part of Gone in 60 Seconds. It hasn't particularly aged well, but Nicolas Cage of the Coppolas puts on an entertaining performance (as per usual). Unfortunately, I couldn't get far past there, so I stopped.
What About Something You've Already Reviewed?
OK, I'll admit at one point this was going to turn into a review of The Boondock Saints because it's currently my ringtone. But when I looked back at my old review, I immediately jumped to this line: "I guess the best and worst thing that can be said about The Boondock Saints is that it's a hell of a lot of fun. Killing the underworld scum at random is made cathartic and at times kind of goofy. What a world."
Shortly thereafter, I deleted all traces of the review from the internet.
What About that Great Gonzo Piece You Wrote?
I've been holding onto a few pieces of writing for a long, long time, including a journal I kept during my time at the European Writing Center Association's conference in the summer of 2014. Whenever I look away from this piece for a while, I find myself remembering how great it was; I was a raw, lonely kid in a foreign country, but wasn't Hemingway too when he wrote A Moveable Feast?
Fortunately, I managed to tease out my answer from rereading it, even if it wasn't what I expected:
That entire paragraph, which starts the story, is utterly and completely nonsensical. Here is the truth: I'm still not a great writer. Still, I like to think I've come to realize that when you don't have anything to write, you probably shouldn't.
