Writing Through the Block

The strange thing about writing a blog is that I don't always know what I'm going to write about. That's kind of the case today. I'm sitting on some news, and don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet. So, I'm looking for something else to write about that will be on par with the witty, entertaining and, dare I say, downright brilliant posts that you've grown accustomed to.

Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a bit. Okay...a lot!

So, how am I doing so far? No, you don't have to answer that one. I'm on thin ice already for my statement in the first paragraph. I'm sitting here with my 7 year old daughter, and she's giving me advice on what to write. "Write about work...Write about dinner. You can write about anything that you want."

Oh, yeah. Sometimes we get caught up in the things we have to do, or those we feel we should do. We don't always consider that we have a choice, and that sometimes we can do whatever we want and not feel guilty about it. This is one of those times.

That's kind of what happens to writers. We put so much pressure on ourselves to write, and write well, that we wind up writing nothing at all--because nothing is good enough. I think the thing to do is just write your way through writer's block. Stream of consciousness, that's the thing. A lot of times when I do this, nothing but crud comes out. But eventually, the crud clears away, and the good ideas come gushing forth again.

And the good ideas always come. That's the beauty of writing. That's what keeps me coming back. Writing is a way of life. It's a means to come to grips with feelings and emotions. To blow off steam after a hard day, or to visit places or times you never would be able to in the here and now.

When I write, I am the architect of worlds, the giver of life, more than I normally am. At the same time, when I write about these new and different things, I am more me. You might think the crud's still flowing, but it's true. When the writing's good, it's really a kind of rush. You feel like you've accomplished something.

Well, I'm glad I got that out of my system. Thanks for reading!