Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Staring Contest With the Blank Page- Blank Page Wins

I'm going to let you in on a little secret today. Since it's just you and I speaking in private, I feel at liberty to make this confession: I'm struggling with writing these thi... What do you mean you "knew that already?" That's rude. When someone lays the truth out on the table, even something painfully obvious, you're suppose to make a gentle face and say, "oh, is that so? I didn't notice."

Whatever. Moving on. I have a case of writer's block like you would not believe. Yes, I realize I only write three semi-coherent paragraphs a week (if that). And yes I realize the topics are... "eclectic." But nothing is coming to me. I've been told to write about so many things (i.e. the mathematical correlation between cute animals and their suitability as a food source, the social ostracism faced if not toeing the nouveau-ecolutionary's thin green line, and yet more about zombies), but like a bad organ transplant, the ideas aren't taking. Actually, to stretch that thin simile even farther, they are being actively rejected leaving my brain (the heart of the mind?) to flat line.

"Shake it off," say all the books. Shake it off? That wasn't helpful advice when I broke my arm in little league and it feels about as useful now. Writing your way through writer's block is like sleeping your way out of insomnia. The harder you try, the worse it gets. But then again, if you've been keeping track of the paragraph count, it looks like I've made it to three. Which means I'm done. Which means I've written through my writer's block. Which means I've shaken it off. Hurrah and whatnot!
posted by jw