As absurd as this might sound, for the first time that I can remember I’ve hit a complete writer’s block. So forgive my verbal abuse, but I am just trying to knock the blockage down. Like stat.
I’ve heard of my friends, colleagues, peers, and hell, even F. Scott’s Fitzgerald experiencing writer’s block, but this is my first encounter and it’s frustrating the HECK out of me. Okay, breathe. Breathe.
Where I’ve lacked in some areas (like artistic talent of any kind), I’ve always thought of myself as a good writer, or more importantly, I’ve always enjoyed writing. So why the disambiguation? According to my dear friends at Wikipedia, a writer’s block can occur for a variety of reasons, some of which include:
- Physical illness
- Depression
- Financial Pressures
- Sense of Failure
Hm. Not sick. Not depressed. Not pressured. Failure? Hm. While I’m the first to admit feeling inadequate, I’m not sure that’s it.
When I reached out to friends (the ones I mentioned that have shared their writer’s block woes with me before) for their advice on how to shake it off, they flooded me with recommendations.
Peter Shankman said, “Step away from the desk, do 20 jumping jacks or pushups. Anything to elevate the heart for a minute. It’ll release endorphins, and there’s a 99.5% chance it’ll be gone. The endorphins and dopamine released will release the block. I promise.”
After a few minutes and some sweat…I’m happy to report…nunca. Ugh. Nothing. Hello 0.5 percent!
Joshua Friedlander recommended brain training games. Oy.
A colleague recommended a walk, and after a stroll around Lower Queen Anne and a few lungs full of fresh air, I’m happy to report….nothing.
Let me explain the severity of the issue — I’ve drafted 12 blog posts in the past week and a half and haven’t published A. Single. One.
Admittedly the only thing I haven’t tried to remedy the situation is my mom’s recommendation — sleep. I cannot remember the last time I got eight hours of sleep. Psh, scratch that, I can’t remember the last time I got 5 solid hours of sleep. What say you, is that the issue? Does mom know best?
Okay, okay. I’ll do it. I’m going to shoot for it at some point this weekend. It’s not going to be easy, but hopefully for my sake (and for the sake of you lovely readers), I’ll come out of it refreshed and maybe even insightful.
Stay tuned…
Explain in the first sentence this is what you’re doing, but after that, just write total stream of consciousness for like 10 minutes, and then publish it.
Seriously – even if it’s nonsense, the post will break the dam a bit. You get your disclaimer at the start so people don’t know you’re a babbling fool, and it’ll be an interesting read, too.
What, you didn’t get that in this post?
That’s a good thought, though. I definitely will if sleep doesn’t help!
One of my favorite sayings about this kind of writing: it’s journalism, not literature! Churn it out to the best of your ability and forget it. Your own self-criticism is what’s stopping you. Everyone else will be both more forgiving and way less picky than you yourself ate likely to be.
As for topic: everyone wants to hear about getting hit by a car (details, aftermath, what you were thinking as it happened, feelings toward the driver).
Do it!
I subscribed to a series of posts on how to improve your own blog. While cleaning through my email today I found one I hadn’t opened yet. What was it about? Writers block.
Timely.
http://www.blogforprofit.com/kick-your-blog-in-the-butt/come-up-with-at-least-10-post-ideas-day-9-31/
I told you Kristy! We do think alike.
Thank you. I’ll check it out.
[...] Major Blogger’s Block [...]