Mid-Willamette Fiction Writers

Now don’t anyone fall off your office chair or, if you’re using a laptop, don’t slide off your couch onto the floor, but…

I’ve actually been writing this week! Woo Hoo for me!

For months now I just haven’t been in the mood, or groove, or whatever, to write, or really even think about opening my laptop to write, but this week I started and now I just can’t seem to get over the fancy that’s struck me.

Oh, I’m not complaining, it’s just that I’m so afraid the hankering to write is going to slip away again into the dark corners of my mind (you know, it’s that place I’ve not had access to in so long) I’m almost panicking.

As I’ve pondered about what’s put me back on track, I’ve realized it’s the fact that I opened up an old story and started reading what I’d written and UGH!, it was in dire need of fixing; anyhoo, I started tinkering around and eliminating words and phrases that I’ve learned are passive and just did some general script clean up, and then I started adding layers and I realized that my characters were starting to talk to me again. It totally gave me chills!

So, what did I do? I just went with it. I listened to what they had to say and found I was typing away and finding out a whole lot of new and fun things about these characters. I had no idea they’d take me in the direction they did, but it’s been a trippy ride this week. I’m loving it! (But not like McDonalds loving it. I actually hate McYucks. LOL)

When I started thinking about the inspiration and how the bug bit me hard on the ass this week, I’ve realized that even though I’ve not been in the mood to write and haven’t hardly tried in months, I was still on the ‘write’ path because I never stopped learning about the writing process.

Things I’ve learned over the months, while the tumbleweeds flitted around on my laptop, have been slowly sinking in to my skull, they finally hit my brain, and now I’m starting to use them. My confidence is coming back and I’m finding pleasure in writing again.

This may seem foreign to all of you, but it’s where I’ve been for far too long and I’m excited that the blockage is melting away and that I’m headed in the right direction again.

I don’t have any words of wisdom to give to you about writing or anything. This is just a blog entry to show you that even if you get a major blockage, one that may go on for months, there’s hope. Don’t give up or think you’re a failure just because it seems everyone around you is going gangbusters while you’re sinking into the depths of writing despair. (a bit o’ drama for ya’ll)

Please, if any of you have wisdom or helps for the problem of blockage or if you just want to share your story of a time you were blocked, use this opportunity to share with everyone in the comments section. It may seem silly, but I clung to the fact that Alice and Bethany both have had blocks and shared that they were blocked and that they had actually gotten past it. It was a great help to me and gave me hope for myself.

The world of writers is unique and so important in spinning the tales that make the world go ‘round.

Don’t ever quit!