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July 2, 2003 Ah, the life of a writer. Daily we have to face many challenges and persevere in our absolute determination. Endless thoughts and ideas flow steadily through just one mind. Absorbing every ounce of life and relating it to a plot line or direction of an already started story. Coming up with new names, places, character dialogue, themes, settings, endings, surprise twists, comedic relief, and something never done before. We bare our souls and feelings. Pleasing editors at the expense of our own interests. Line after line of poetry and prose falling from the page or staring back at you from the computer screen. Suffering eyestrains, neck cramps, frustration, time, lack of peace and quiet, someone needing attention, and the intimidating blinking cursor. Suddenly, there is nothing or sometimes there is too much of something. The cloudlike thing that lurks in the far corner of your room that feeds off your emotions and insecurities sees its moment of opportunity and creeps out to stab you in themind. I think everyone faces a moment or two of writers block at one time or another. Sometimes it is because you have so much going on in your head that you cant quite get past it to express yourself. Once in a while you are feeling sick or have a pounding headache that refuses to give up for the sake of writing just one line that day. Many times it is because there is outside noise or factors knocking at your door, wanting to take center attention. Quite often enough it is just because. Yes, just because. Believe it or not, just because is a great reason and a perfect explanation. You see how there are solutions for other things that get blocked. There are products for your oil or gas if they become blocked. There are tools to fix the problems. There are even paid people who tote the tools that come take care of the oil or gas that is blocked. Road crews come out with machines that unblock traffic or other elements. I think I will skip the excerpt on why they make antacids and such since we all know what that can unblock. They make products that clear your sink, tub, and toilet clogs. There seems to be many solutions out there to help the average Joe, but what about the average writers? Have they bothered to make Drain-o for writers block? No. We have to fix it or undo it ourselves. Living day in and day out with a buildup that needs to get out but unsure how. I am not afraid to admit that I get it either. It certainly doesnt mean I cant write or that I am not a good writer. It means I am human with other things on the go and plenty of thoughts running through my head, that just arent worth writing about or need to be dealt with somewhere other than on paper. I have some things I try when this block invades my mind. Listening to music is the one that works best for me. Beautiful Celtic or harp music soothes my mind and releases a lot of the tension that surrounds the story ideas that become stuck in mid-sentence. Cleaning the area I work in or adding inspiring pictures or figures also works though it certainly makes for more work and tends to be my last resort. Sometimes just sitting down and typing every word that is in my head, whether it makes sense or not, frees up some creative space. Once I have done that I put that piece of paper away for a day or two and then look it over. I laugh because it is a jumbled array of words that I end up making two or three short stories out of later. The thoughts are up there, they get shy and feel unsure of how to make their way down to my fingertips and out onto the page. The pressure I can put on myself to write something can get overwhelming. While I cant stand to be unproductive, sometimes I need that break in order to step to the next level. Writing just isnt easy and even if you are just writing for yourself, you can easily become sidetracked and flustered. That is why there are such words as flustered, sidetracked, and writers block because enough people had it happen and they couldnt understand it and finally a word came about. In fact, I guess those people with those problems didnt stay that way for too long because through it all they managed to make up a word! But its normal and perfectly natural, and one shouldnt beat oneself up, just because of a loss of momentum for a while. Finding something that fuels your creative abilities inside is generally the direction to go. Instead of cursing out the screen, read a book, take a walk, dance to an upbeat song, cook something, spend time with people, or take a nap. Maybe find a different source or element to induce that creative muse that has taken a personal vacation without telling you. Trust in yourself and your talented abilities enough to know that it will pass as soon as you stop worrying about it. Its like watching a pot boil. Always taking longer because eyes are upon it. You might be hindering your writing because you are too focused and concerned that you arent writing. The last thing a writer needs is more worrying thoughts traveling the same path as the hidden stories, poems, articles, and essays. At some point they cross paths, deterring each other from their intended destinations. The same can happen to a writer when they have too many ideas floating and they dont know where to start. This is frequent with me. I never know where or when I will get my inspiration. Unfortunately I find the evening the time when my muse comes out to play the most frequent. Yes, right as I am lying in bed, willing myself to sleep. Try as I might to allow the sleep to come, my mind wont shut itself off long enough and I have to get up and write in a notebook. What is worse is when you have four different thoughts for four different stories and you want to start them all right then and there. That is quite disconcerting because you have your mind traveling on four different tracks, at some point they will clash or crash. Writing doesnt have to be categorized into a science. We think, we plot, we write, we send, we share, and we feel good. There is no need to prove to yourself what you already know to be true. You can write, you call yourself a writer, and in time the writing will take a round trip somewhere, leaving you missing it, but ready to celebrate when it returns. ------------ About the author: Nancy Jackson is a full time author and poet with works in Literati, Twilight Times, Anotherealm, Sonny World, and various anthologies. Her pasttimes include spending time with her loved ones, drinking wine, and lots of writing! Email Nancy Jackson: coryann93@yahoo.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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