Write till you drop

There were a few things I could relate to in Dillard's essay "Write till you drop". There was also a lot of meandering that I had to hit the "fast-forward" button over. I love the line about why you never find anything written about that one thing that really gets you, being that it is because it is up to you to write it. Writing as if your life depended on it is a little melodramatic for me-as is the bit about the sensation of writing being like doing barrel rolls and spinning and blind love. etc etc. I also disagree with the assertion that if you are going to write, you should write a big book (novel or non-fiction narrative). I'm a fan of the short story; for many reasons, not the least of which is a short attention span. It is difficult to chew through a long novel, especially when not compelled to for a class, just for the enjoyment of it. Unfortunately, I'm not a fast reader and something always intervenes before I can finish. I also have the not-to-uncommon habit of reading several books at once (this even when not reading for classes). That short attention span problem again. And last, as my favorite author, Ambrose Bierce put it, a novel is just "a short story with padding."
This is partially tongue-in-cheek. There is absolutely nothing wrong with novels or non-fiction narratives. I enjoy them both. I just had to chime-in in defense of the short story. I do, however, think that everyone should write. I'm not saying everyone should attempt at making a profession out of it. I just think when we write, we think harder than when we speak. A Lot harder. We all could use this form of exercise a little more.