Observations: A Work in Progress

Observations, WIP

Or: A Writer’s Field Notes on Creativity, People, and the Stuff Nobody Asked Me

By Paul Scott

Epigraphs

“Part of me suspects that I’m a loser, and the other part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.”
— John Lennon

“Tell all the truth but tell it slant — Success in Circuit lies.”
— Emily Dickinson, Poem #1263

Before You Read Any Further

This is not advice. I’m not qualified to give advice. What follows is a running list of things I’ve noticed — about writing, about people, about the distance between what we say and what we mean. Some of it might be useful. Most of it is me arguing with myself and writing down whoever won.

If something here sounds wrong to you, it probably is. For you. These are my observations, shaped by my blind spots. Steal what works. Leave the rest on the table.

This is a living document. It grows when something clicks. Entries get cut when they stop being true. Nothing here is permanent, which is sort of the point.

What I’ve Learned So Far

“The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” – Reverend Mother Gaius Helem Mohiam, Dune

Books, People, and Things I Stole From

If I mentioned it above, it probably came from one of these. Or from someone smarter than me who said it first.

Herbert, Frank. Dune. Chilton Books, 1965.

About the Author

Paul Scott is a writer who pays too much attention to things.

*Cover Image: Patrick Fore
*Second Image: Aaron Burden