Boy, that's a title, eh?
I'll provide a guarantee right now, this post won't live up to that title.
Maybe it's aspirational. We'll see.
There is a blog I read regularly that takes the form of an online journal. The author is really open and straight forward. It really is like reading her personal diary.
She suffers from quite a bit of writer's block, and so when that happens, she'll do a free association blog post where she asks herself questions and has her mind answer any which way it wants.
I find those posts fascinating as they always contain some nugget of something good that makes the whole exercise worthwhile.
I'm not saying my version of this is going to provide anything other than a nugget of "what the sam hell?" but I'm willing to try.
So. Here we go.
Chatting with myself...
Heeere we go!
Yup, let's go!
We're doin' it!
Crimeny, I'm so blocked I can't even write interviewer questions.
Ugh.
Ok, for real this time.
Hello, welcome to our self-chat. How are you feeling today?
Wait, that's how a therapist likes to start a conversation. "How are you feeeeling?" How am I feeling? Bite me, that's how I'm feeling!
I sense a little hostility.
Congratulations, your sensors are working fine. Can I go?
Yes, you can. But would you stay a minute more?
Why?
Because I asked you nicely.
Fair enough.
Why are you so cranky?
I get cranked up when I have writer's block. It usually comes so easy to me, the words. In fact, I can write too many words. I was constantly admonished by a former boss, a numbers guy, that I wrote too many words.
He was a toad, though, so no need to let his opinions matter.
Isn't writing a process? A flow? Sometimes a raging river, sometimes a trickle?
Thanks. Now I have to go pee.
Some of the greatest writers in the world had and have writer's block.
Sure, sure. I know it's all a part of the creative process but damn, I hate it!
Don't you think railing against it only makes it worse?
Don't you think being a smarty-pants is going to net you the backspace key, repeatedly?
Hey, this is your mental exercise, hot-shot, I'm just asking the questions here.
Oooh, touchy touchy! Fine, yes, I know that railing against writer's block only makes it worse. But railing against [insert item here] is sort of how I make my way through life.
You know, "Hulk mad! Hulk smash!" or something like that.
Yeah. How's that working out for you?
Today, not so well.
What do you think would help clear the block?
I don’t know. It usually passes in its own time.
So, if you can just wait it out, it will resolve itself.
Usually.
So, being patient with yourself and letting it pass by might actually be the quickest route?
Yeah, probably.
So why don't you do that...be patient with yourself?
Damned if I know.
Well, maybe that's something to work on today.
Yeah, you're right. I'll grudgingly admit you are right. Maybe even helpful, too.
Any closing thoughts?
I like pie.
Thank you, and good night....
It's daytime, stupid brain. You good fer nothing piece of......
Thus concludes today's conversation. I hope we've all learned something here. Though I've no idea what that would be.
