The Shot

It was kind of difficult to come up with a good metaphor to describe writing. I used to enjoy writing for leisure in an old blog I had, but I gave it up before I left for Rome last year, as I had a public blog to maintain for my family and friends to read about my travels abroad. With having limited internet access and the travel blog to write in, it just made it difficult to keep the other one updated, and I, unfortunately haven't gotten back into the swing of these. Perhaps one day.

Anyway, when thinking about writing and how I go about it, the one thing that came to me was a shot- not from a gun, but the kind you get from the doctor. The standard procedure for getting a shot is making the appointment to see the doctor. I compared that to the assignment being handed out. The due date, or the shot date, is set. In the meantime, I try not to think about it because I think about how painful it is going to be. There are certain points from the time of the appointment until the moment the needle is injected, or from the day the assignment is given out until the time where the paper is printed out where I do end up thinking about it, but for the most part, my mind drifts across other ideas and plans.

Then the day comes where I have to write this paper. I cannot procrastinate any longer. It has gotten to the point where I know I will inevitably pull an all-nighter to get it done. The writing is where the actual shot comes in. Like the shot, it is painful while writing, but a good kind of pain. There is something satisfactory about working under pressure. But much like the shot, everything gets done in one-fell swoop. No planning. No thinking. Just doing. And when it's all done, there is that relief that it's all over. It stings a little bit, much like the next day after an all-nighter is a bit of a pain, but whatever it is, it's all done and there is no turning back.

The effects are also similar. Either you can feel really great after this shot, much like you can feel really great after you spent all night on this paper and received a fabulous grade. Or you can feel terrible if you received a slightly lower than expected grade after slaving over this 13-page dissertation or suffer from horrible side effects from this shot, similar to what a flu shot sometimes does. In the end, it's all about satisfaction, and generally, that is the feeling that best sums up the writing experience for me. The satisfaction heavily outweighs the sometimes painful process of spending hours at one time on a paper, and knowing that I put it all together in a presentable package is good enough for me.