Writing is manual labor of the mind – like laying pipe.
John Gregory Dunne
PG has laid pipe and has done a lot of writing. The two work experiences are vastly different. For one thing, there is nothing metaphorical about laying pipe.
Writing is manual labor
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Agreed. I read many things and wonder if the author has ever laid pipe, worked on a loading dock, or moved furniture. Note all the underground fiber being installed for the new high-speed internet connections. Very high tech. Every 100ft some guy has to dig a spotting hole four feet long, one foot wide, and three feet deep. With a shovel so he doesn’t cut existing cable. Then he moves 100ft and digs another… And the next day…
Best are writers who open their veins and bleed.
Agreed, PG. Anyone who equates writing with manual labor has never hit the working end of a shovel for an eight-hour shift.
And how is writing “work” at all? You’re sitting alone in a room making up stuff. That isn’t work. That’s fun.