Writer's Block

There are some that will argue that there is no such thing as a writer’s block. I truly admire those who can sit at a desk and begin writing immediately. Very often, I can’t get my body and brain to join forces and give my ambition a kick where it belongs to jump start me into motion. In my own defense, and it isn’t an excuse, just a fact, I’m not lazy. I just have a few health issues that make me more tired than usual. Once the doctors can pinpoint my problem, hopefully the proper meds will help. We’ll see. For the time being, I try to take full advantage of my good days. Like today!

It's one thing to begin a story and then try to pick up where you left off. It’s quite another to begin something totally knew. In a creative writing class, the instructor once said, “Write what you know.” I questioned him on his remark, and he said it was easier to write about things we know. For instance, our past events, a memory – whether tragic or funny, write about family, and his list went on and on. Sounded like a good idea.

Then a problem arose. Actually, two problems from which I had to choose.

I wrote about an incident in my life and mentioned someone. That person wasn’t angry, just asked that I never use his name again. Privacy issues. I said OK. When I wrote my second story, I improvised a bit, changed a few details, especially the names. One person involved read it, liked it, and asked why I changed the names. He was fine seeing his name in my story. Good grief! What’s a writer to do?

It wasn’t that much of a difficult decision. I just wouldn’t write about the one who relishes his privacy and if the incident was noteworthy, I’d change as much as I could without losing the concept.

So, now, here I sit at my computer with my notes on my desk. Which story do I write today? Who can I mention? Or should I mention someone? While I can always claim that the people in my stories aren’t real and only a figment of my imagination, it only takes on person to recognize the situation and that person will know the story revolves around him or her.

Writing really consumes much of the imagination.

For instance: I notice my neighbor’s lawn is burning from the heat of the sun. Why doesn’t he water the grass? Where am I? I change the state and continue with a description of a new location. My friend, in a fit of celebratory hilarity, climbed upon a bar stool and began shimmying to the music. When I write about that incident, I will change her description and the location and change what it was she climbed upon. Barstool? Nope, how about the table where we sat (we actually weren’t sitting).

It's the little things like that I find time-consuming. First, I must know what to change, then how to change it to make it seem real.

There are times when I’ve written complete fiction. Again, I am frequently asked, “Why fiction when you have so many real things to write about?”

Being a writer can be extremely difficult when you have comments and views from every angle of your life. Even writing fiction can be a hassle. Many will read and comment, “I know exactly when that happened. I was there!” Shaking my head, I respond with, “When? It never happened. I made it up.” So many refuse to believe that a writer has an imagination for fiction and yet, most of the books they enjoy by professional and well-known authors are fiction.

Guess, we writers need to have very thick skins and learn to ignore every bit of criticism that’s throw our way.

I began this story because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to write about. With all the notes on my desk, I was drawing a blank. A spat of fatigue set it, again. I’ve made and drank my tea while I wrote this. It’s almost time for me to begin preparing dinner. For now, I think I’ll go plant my butt on the couch, pick up the paperback I started a few days ago and lose myself into a murder mystery – at least for the next thirty minutes.

Tomorrow, I’ll see if my brain and body will work together to create another story. Hmm, what shall it be? Household gadgets? Maybe. I could write about a woman who had a super crush on a man that she didn’t know was gay. I could also write about cleaning out a closet – which in my personal life really needs to get done.

Well, so much for writer’s block. Guess the masses were right. If you put your mind to something, you can get it done before you have a chance to think about it.