Jun 25, 2014 / Beginner

Recommended Reading: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

The writing process involves more than just writing. In Haruki Murakami’s memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, we learn about his thought process and passion for a physical activity that also inspires his craft.

Rotated <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobjagendorf/8535316836">image</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobjagendorf/">Bob Jagendorf</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>)

Much of the writing process doesn’t involve writing. That’s how it feels for me.

In some comments I read across the WordPress.com community, and in our current Writing 101 challenge, I notice that bloggers can be really hard on themselves.

I’m so behind.

I can’t think of anything to write.

I didn’t publish anything today.

Writing isn’t automatic; it’s not a mode you turn on and off. Think about our daily prompts, or our free-write challenges. You can’t always sit down and write. Writing is about much more than the physical act of writing — there’s a lot of thinking, observing, and simply being involved. I’ve been pondering this in the midst of Writing 101, in which we ask thousands of participants to experiment daily with their writing and respond to various scenarios. In many cases, the process itself — not the end product — is what really matters. But it’s a challenge because as bloggers, we’ve become used to clicking “Publish,” and equating writing with publishing.

I’m reminded of Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, a part-running diary, part-memoir that encapsulates my thoughts: that what we do when we’re not writing or typing — whether it’s a physical activity, an unrelated hobby, or nothing at all — is just as important as the act of writing itself:

Being active every day makes it easier to hear that inner voice.

Murakami, the Japanese author of Norwegian Wood and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, is an accomplished marathon and ultramarathon runner and triathlete. In What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, he describes his running routine — normally six miles a day, six days a week. His thoughts meander, and his prose is loose. I wouldn’t call the writing technically sharp — and if you’re interested, read Geoff Dyer’s criticism of the book — but the work itself is an exercise in meditation. Murakami is naked in a way, his mind right there on the page, exposing his thought process for us to see:

As I run I tell myself to think of a river. And clouds. But essentially I’m thinking of not a thing. All I do is keep on running in my own cozy, homemade void, my own nostalgic silence. And this is a pretty wonderful thing. No matter what anybody else says.

I used to run a lot. Never really an “athlete,” long-distance running was the one physical activity I enjoyed. Despite ankle injuries, I still run when I can, not simply for the exercise, but for the mental (and often creative) space that Murakami describes — a zone in which to clear the mind, to invite the unexpected. This non-writing zone doesn’t have to be physically demanding: from gardening and playing the piano to knitting and cooking, breathing space from the act of writing comes in different forms. (Tasks involving water, like washing the dishes and taking a bath, can unlock ideas — consider this post by Alec Nevala-Lee on thinking in the shower.)

Murakami also compares running and writing as ways to push yourself:

Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as well.

I love running because it can be solitary; I set my own goals. The only person I have to beat is myself, and likewise, when it comes to my own writing, I am my main critic. I learn from and welcome feedback from other writers, but in the end, I set my own limits. Being one writer among so many, in a competitive environment, it’s sometimes hard to keep this perspective. But whenever I pick up this book and turn to a random page, Murakami manages to say something simple about life, writing, and being human — and it’s these quiet moments of enlightenment I enjoy the most.

For a sampling, you can “look inside” the book online.

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  1. Hi,
    I’m a new blogger.My writing was earlier limited to my diary & notes & sharing with my family & friends. I wasn’t sure about blogging because of some reasons you have mentioned here.
    It is so important to have pride in how much ever we write & all that we write rather than counting the nos. Expressing my thoughts gives me so much peace. There is so much we learn from circumstances, the experiences we have & the people we meet all of this has some influence on every ones mind. A writer is able to express that influence while other people enjoy reading it.
    Loved your post & sure gave me a boost. Thanks for sharing this book info.
    I think I would like it.

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  2. I’ve sometimes felt “I’m so far behind” and “I’ll never catch up,” but I know that’s a dead end street where thugs hang out to beat a person up.

    As you are saying here, if I only count the amount I’ve written & published, then I’ve flunked Blogging University, but if I count all the ideas I’ve gotten this month in response to the prompts, ideas I can yet develop into posts, then I’m still far ahead.

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    1. As you are saying here, if I only count the amount I’ve written & published, then I’ve flunked Blogging University…

      Hi! Wanted to clarify I wasn’t saying that *not* publishing equals flunking Blogging U. (I don’t think that’s what you meant, but wanted to clarify anyway.)

      No one flunks Writing 101 (or any other course we offer); I hope that, any published posts aside, you’ve gotten something, if not small, out of it — trying different exercises, considering new ideas and ways to approach a topic, and simply *thinking* about the writing process. That sort of “behind the scenes” stuff, the steps in between your published posts, is valuable to us as writers, as we grow and get better.

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      1. So appreciate your post. Reading it and the comments makes me feel better about not pushing myself to keep up and recognizing the other benefits of the course, finding other blogs and bloggers, getting ideas, re-thinking what I’m doing, etc.
        Thanks so much!

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  3. Yes yes yes. Writing for me is so the end product. Well with blogging anyway (have’t been brave enough to share anything ‘creative’). I think think think and turn ideas over in my head, sometimes for ages before the words hit a page. Driving is a great time for this (I’m a mum of four, I do a LOT of driving!). When I blog I barely draft – get it down, quick read through edit and post … because so much has happened in my head before that point. Great post, thanks for the book rec, will be sure to add it to my list.

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  4. Very topical and insightful. I am new to writing, and just recently have figured out that small kernel of wisdom you talk about. My best “writing moments” are when I am bicycling or tangling because that’s when my life is in “flow” mode. Now that I understand writing does not equal publishing, nor does it equal quantity, I’m much more relaxed about the ebb and flow.

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  5. A very thoughtful post! I have read several of his books but not this one so I will have to check it out as I am a runner also – although slower these days – and it can help the creative process.

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  6. Stephen King says he gets his best ideas out walking, which he used to do for miles everyday before his accident. I find hanging out the washing is my best poetry inspiration time.

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    1. I love learning about everyone else’s best times for inspiration. Thanks for sharing yours.

      I almost chose Stephen King’s On Writing for this installment of Recommended Reading. Maybe I’ll do it for my next one 🙂

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  8. Running and writing go hand in hand for me too. But even a walk is enough to shake my cobwebs; the key for me is being active outdoors. And let’s face it, writing is easier when you experience life!

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  12. There are also times where I’m worried if a piece is ‘worthy’ enough to publish. If the ‘idea’ is going to appeal to anyone, or if anyone would even read at all.

    As someone has pointed out below, sometimes we compare it to other blogs (or any particular pieces) out there.

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  13. Running puts you in a solitary zone where you are insulated from everything around you.it helps in rejuvenation of the thought process. Cant agree more on that.
    Well written.

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  14. This is exactly the way I feel too, for me writing is the absolute last thing I do, first must come the experience, then the discussion, then inspirations and once I have those all in place, the words just flow.

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  16. “But whenever I pick up this book and turn to a random page, Murakami manages to say something simple about life, writing, and being human —”
    The beauty of reading is that each person takes away something different. What is currently on your mind influences your take away. And at the same time when we write, we are not in control of how or what people will interpret from what we wrote.

    I find I do my best writing in while running. Sometimes I get in after a long run and go straight to the keyboard.

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  17. Great post.

    I find that like running or any physical activity, the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness also affords ethereal frames to the mind. 🙂

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  18. Some very interesting thoughts there. The idea of thinking abut a river flowing is interesting and similar in concept to the idea of mindfulness meditation. I try to find a little time every day to do a mindfulness exercise it can be incredibly beneficial to your mental wellbeing 🙂

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  20. Interesting read.

    Like running and physical exercise, I find that the twilight state between wakefulness and sleep can also at times afford ethereal frames to our mind, illuminate latent thoughts which you never knew resided within. The hard part is remembering such flashes later on.

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  22. I have not been one to want to run until this stage of my life Now that you have presented Murakami’s book in this light, I’ll have to “read it while I run.” Thanks for your enlightening post!

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  23. This is what yoga and a morning walk do for me. Besides feeling refreshed afterward, the physical activity and solitude create space in my brain and I often find solutions to problems or ideas for writing.

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  28. Cheri, I read the book last night! I mean, I saw your recommendation in the morning, the title called out to me directly, downloaded the book and finished it by night. Loved it! Very inspiring, but down to earth, no nonsense, valuable deep insights to life, decisions we make and applicable practical advice on how to treat situations life puts us in. Note: I am not a Murakami fan, but after last night, I’ll give his work another try 🙂 Thank you – this book was exactly what I have been looking for – pinpointed my own questions on the stage I am right this minute.

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  30. I never used to understand the joy of running until I began forcing myself to do it as a supplement of lifting weights. Now I find that when I’m particularly stressed, my body longs to go for a run.

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