So I have a confession. Remember when I posted not one but two blog posts about overcoming Writer’s Block? While I will not dispute that they have some good pointers in them, I have to tell you the truth. I walked myself back into that jail cell and closed the door again. Hi, my name is Jenn. And I failed to keep writing.
It’s not that the ideas went away. This time around, I’m good to go with the ideas. But every time I sit down to add more to the story, I end up doing something else. Here is a list of things that I allow to distract me: Facebook, email, blog posts about writing, blog posts about publishing, catching up on old British sitcoms like The IT Crowd, season 2 of Game of Thrones, catching up with The Walking Dead, and finishing reading Y: The Last Man series. Oh, and more Facebook.
I’ve read online where a lot of people disable their internet, and I completely understand the notion. A lot of times, my writing brain meanders to researching something online. And then it meanders right on over to innocently checking my Facebook updates. In no time, an hour is gone. I can’t tell you how many days since I wrote those two blog posts that midnight has hit and I think, “Oh well, guess I’ll really write something tomorrow.”
Some good friends have been kind enough to ask me what’s wrong. And I articulate point one that bugs me about my WIP - narrative POV. I know who I’d like to sound like when writing, but I just can’t seem to find my own groove. I’ve written about 5 different possibilities, and none of them make me happy. Point two that bugs me is that I can’t seem to completely throw off the shroud of perfectionism. I know I will have to rewrite everything, and yet I fall under the notion of wanting to get it right the first time. This results in a self-defeating loop of no writing.
I swear they could make a game of trying to write a novel (I’m envisioning an old-school 8-bit version). No matter what non-writers think, it is hard work! I’m not sure how many other jobs out there force you to come face to face with your inner demons on such a regular basis. I go through a gamut of emotions every day from self-loathing to jealousy when in my fit of checking the Books section of The Huffington Post, I see a review of a debut author’s work.
I’d like to be writing something prolific and positive here on my blog about what I’m discovering while writing. Makes me sound more professional. But the truth is, I’m struggling. I know I can’t be the only one out there. So I’m here at the edge of the online void telling my truth and hoping that others out there will know you are not alone. And maybe…just maybe…we’ll encourage each other to get off the merry-go-round of locking ourselves in Writer’s Block jail and get back to writing in earnest.
Falls Into Writing 
Jenn, i find the writing isn’t the hard part, it’s the commitment. when you commit to writing regularly (a small blog post every day, even just a line), the stakes for each thing you write go down: there’s less and less pressure to be great all the time. the amazing truth is that not everyyhing an artist makes is brilliant. but when enough things are, she leaves her mark. tony
Thanks so much. I have to say, everything I’ve been creating lately have been floaters. But you’re right - the more I create, the more I’ll be able to mine some gems. I appreciate the read and the comment!
Jenn, I am right beside you on that online void…so close we could hold hands. I struggle with the same thing, perhaps in a different way. I avoid writing the story by doing continuous research, telling myself I have to know more about this or that before I can write one word, and when I do write, like you, I want it to be perfect. One thing I’ve done to try to get me to just write is take part in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers, which you can find here-http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/. It’s fun and gets the creative juices flowing and I even did pretty good with my first entry thought I don’t usually write flash-fiction. So if you can’t make yourself work on your wip, perhaps just writing something else, even if just on your blog, will help. I’m with you, Jenn.
Catherine - That’s awesome to know that I’m truly not alone! I, too, research a little bit too much. Some of the best advice I got (and hardly ever use) is from Leona Wisoker (http://leonawisoker.wordpress.com/) when she told me to get index cards and write down things to research on them. Find one day in the week to do research and pull some cards from the pile. Leave those sections alone in the WIP until after the research is done. That way, we might not get sidetracked into researching rather than writing. I will definitely check out your link! Thanks!
Thanks for the plug, Jenn-and I’ll admit that even published authors go through the dry spell, the frustration, the attempt to be perfect first go-it affects all of us eventually. The trick is to keep trying, and not to give up. If nothing else, task yourself with a hundred word short-story-hook exercise, or a description of the room you’re in, or some other prompt. It doesn’t matter if you’re working on your current WIP every day-as long as you’re WRITING *something*, anything, creative-every. single. day. -and eventually something will unlock and unstick and you’ll be a writing fiend for a while. Then you’ll go idle for a while and have to boost yourself back out again by putting the writing first above all other things. It’s a cycle. At least… *ahem* that’s what happens with me. 🙂 Thanks again!