Inspiration

It happens to everyone: the dreaded writer's block.

            I've experienced this beast before, but never in such a concentrated dosage. Before, I would just have to push myself a little harder to force out what I want to say. It created difficulty, but it was mortal; I could stuff it into a box and stow it away in the darkest corner of my mind--out of sight, out of mind. But this time. . . I am physically pained by it. I feel the words coursing through my veins, looking for any chance to escape and find a blank sheet of paper. They press against my skin. My brain churns, trying to find a way to make physical the aimless words banging around in my skull. I am only certain of one thing: I will explode if I can't open the gates.

            In hopes of freeing myself from the river of damned souls, I'm creating this "story". It seems every writer who ever lived has made something similar to this work. I don't think it has ever worked, but hey, what have I got to lose if it goes bottoms up? It's not like I'll get extra writer's block. . . right?

            I don't quite understand why I can't get out any words. Just an hour ago, I was struck by a crackling lightning bolt of inspiration. My eyes turned electric blue, and I started twitching.

I was prepared to write the poems to end all poems. I was going to start writing and not stop until I created a masterpiece. I was going to draw tears, both from the writer and reader. I was going to tap into my well of emotions and manifest them into text. And it was going great. Until I started. I stared at my monitor for ten minutes, my jaw slowly going slack. My fingers locked into place above my keyboard. Eventually, my brain started bleeding and I had to stop.

            And with that, my dear reader, this experiment is drawing to a close. I'll say a word of thanks to those of you who made it through the previous 300 words. How many of you have experienced writer's block? I would assume each and every one of you. Did you simply wait it out, huddled in the corner and sucking your thumb? Or do you have some magical hoodoo trick to unclog your creative arteries? I would love to hear the stories, good or bad.

            Anyway, how are you doing? Pretty well, I hope. In any case, should my affliction takes me later this night, I leave everything to my six cats.

Author's Note

I'm sure many of you can relate. Please, let me know of any methods you have of defeating this monster.

Reviews

[Usman Muhammad]

Happens to everyone but only few can fight it and make their way out of this block...I am not one of them...for sure :) , but I know some friends who know the art to tackle this problem, they just take it easy and write the story in a casual way not adding too much details, they just try to build the structure of that story and after sometime when they feel normal they add details and everything necessary to write a good story.
Your story seems more realistic to me. Anyhow how I am supposed to believe that you were going through a block while you have written this masterpiece :) .
Your writing has a different perspective and it helps me to find new ways of story writing.
Well done friend you are doing great.

[Jacob Clifford]

Thank you very much for reading, Usman. I am a bit surprised by the positive feedback this piece has received. I didn't' think people would think much of it, instead seeing it as another "Writer's Block" story. Fortunately, it seems to be just different enough to be appealing.

[barleygirl]

I am a little blown away by this piece of writing. What makes it good is becuz you are being very honest & specific about how it feels. Sure, everyone writes about writer's block, but they are almost all kinda boring becuz they all same something similar. I think your piece is more original sounding.

Now, to address your actual writer's block . . . it seems pretty obvious to me . . . both by reading this piece & also by reading your profile, that you get writers block becuz you are putting too much pressure on yourself to create some grand masterpiece. That is both ridiculous & unfair to yourself. Why not have the goal of having fun, instead? Besides, the masterpiece writers on this website bore the living daylights out of me with their perfectly structured poems. What people relate to is imperfections, becuz we are all imperfect.

The other small thing I have to say about writers block is: Have you ever done journaling on a daily basis? It's like taking a s**t every morning, to get out all those random & interrupting thoughts that plague you when you're writing. After your channels are all cleared out, then writing is much easier. For a few years, I MADE MYSELF write whatever came to mind for an hour every morning. It was stupid, meaningless worries and insecurities and feelings of grandeur and how much I hated some butthole that hurt my feelings, etc. After doing this for a few years, I didn't need to do it anymore & now I never have writers block.

[Jacob Clifford]

Thank you, barleygirl. I was quite happy with how this piece turned out, despite the writer's block at the time. Also, thank you for what you said about imperfections. I know it should be more important to have fun (even if it is easy to forget), but I knew thought about "masterpiece writers" in that way before. I'm sure you hear it enough to start to be annoyed by it, but you are a very keen and thoughtful person.

I have tried journaling, both sporadically and daily. I wrote down al lof those "random & interrupting" thoughts. I never felt or noticed any change, and the act of journaling bored me halfway to tears, so I stopped doing it. I found that doing stories like this one help more for clearing my head of worries. It's like journaling, but I force myself to make my thoughts tangible and understandable, which is something I otherwise wouldn't have the patience to do.

Once again, thanks for your advice and thoughts.

[Riddhi]

Its absouloutely true...i ado feel writers block and that is what i am feeling from two to three days now...i am having vaccation and just want to write very nice piece of writing but i do not know why i cannot write...when i suffer such a thing i just wait for the time when my mind and heart will start forcing me to write something and during this i try to review other writers' works and read them...That is what i am doing now....I thought like what you wrote was very very true for me..each and every word made sense to me and i know every writer does suffer from it at some or the other point of his life...Actually when i start reading others writings i feel like you know a sudden fire to write something starts kindling in my mind...
That is what i do when i suffer from this...very nice of you for writing such a thing which is common to all writers...
Take care...
Riddhi

[Jacob Clifford]

Thank you for reading, riddhi. Writer's block is a universal experience; everyone seems to know what it's like. It always passes, though. The hard part is working through it.

[Riddhi]

Yes , you are write that the hard part is really working through it...i indeed agree with you...

[Lee Bakes]

ARRRRGH such a familiar feeling! You have described it perfectly to the last detail. here are two ways i deal with my writers block:
1. Mostly i get my expectations too high and am scared to put anything on paper, so in that case i just lower my expectations and then write something from memory (such as an incident I may have experienced from the past) only focusing on pretty language and phrasal beautification (something very textbook). Once Iv'e done that, its like that crushed paper that's jamming your printer, its like I've removed that and I'm back on track. (the paper being the piece i just wrote out of fear and apathy, if you must know the allusion :P)
2.For the more lethargic kind of writers block where I just lack enthusiasm, I just read like a maniac and watch a tonne of movies and stop pushing myself to write. I find that if i constantly expose myself to some form of art that i like (books and cinema) you sort of fall into the rhythm of creative expression and sometimes its only just that rhythm that I need.

[Jacob Clifford]

Great advice, LeeBakes. Much thanks.

[Autonomous]

Not only can I relate but I can feel it now, telling me that I can try again in a few hours but then again it always says the same. Writers block is awful!

[Jacob Clifford]

Very awful. It's strange to me that everyone experiences it, and it seems to be pretty much the same experience for all who feel its wrath.

[Autonomous]

I mean sometimes it's a good thing as well. Now that I think of it, it could also give birth to great ideas when it begins to fade away.

[Jacob Clifford]

Yes. Unfortunately, most great works are inspired by unpleasant events.

[Kirasoul]

Clifford, I could give you a hug man. The writer's block is something that has been troubling me throughout my penlife and yet there is ABSOLUTE NOTHING I can do about it. Every time one of them jumps out at me without warning and I'll be mortified for weeks to pass. Horrible, horrible times.
Recently I've found out that it's a lot easier to ignore the block by reading instead of writing (oh thank goodness for my discovery) Jolt aimless words down while looking through the works of others, piece future puzzles of your story together and searching through your novel for self-flaws. That's what I do when I get stuck myself.
Hope this helps!
-L

[Jacob Clifford]

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I haven't heard those ideas before.

[richieb]

Of course I can relate to this pestilence of the writer. A plague that leaves bumbling idiots in its wake. There are no sure fire ways to beat it. Sometimes I listen to the music of my youth {60's&70's}. Looking at old pictures sometimes springs an idea. Copying pages of a favorite book or author is a favorite of mine. I don't drink any more so I can't use that as an excuse for or against writer's curse. Good luck Clifford, Richie.

[Jacob Clifford]

Thanks, Richieb. Always good to hear your thoughts.

[E G TEN]

Writers Block? Hmm, mostly I don't force my self when nothing comes out,
Or if something does manage to flow, most of the time it's way off the subject
Matter amd you just end up with more stuff to start with. You did alright
Writing around it here, very cool Thanks EG

[Jacob Clifford]

You seem to have a very relaxed view about writing (which is sometimes something I wish I had), and you made some good points in your review. I wished I could be so calm about all of this, but I'm too stubborn to deviate greatly. Perhaps I need a freewrite session to empty my mind. Thank you for reading.

[PhoenixDown]

I wish I could shake your hand. This is just awesome man. You not only vanquished the beast for yourself, but have done so for me and others, I am sure, as well. You also did so in a polished style, demonstrating your talent, even in uninspired times.

"..but it was mortal." - "friggin sick," as the phrase goes.

Bravo, my friend. The Beast is done. The Calm has begun. Many respect points earned, in my book at least.

[Jacob Clifford]

Such a flattering review! I'm glad you seem to enjoy this story so much. I wouldn't say that I "vanquished the beast", but I certainly hope I've started myself on the path of freedom. I haven't had the time to start any more poems or stories, but I hope it will come when I try writing.

[PhoenixDown]

A stepping stone in doing so, at the very least.

Take your time. Stew. It's the most important thing you can do sometimes. I also find that attempting to write without editing sometimes helps to clear my mind, and fill my "paper."

[hcarson]

i can so relate to this...it is tormenting me as we speak! when i'm away from pen and paper i see so many things around me or hear so many words that i think can have something done to them creatively...yet once have rushed to grab that paper and pencil...my mind is a total blank..or, insteead of all the nice, fun things previously thought, all i can think to write are dark and miserable and i don't like to do many of them as it lowers my mood lol...so here i'm..with you..stuck entirely in nothing!!..hope yours passes soon as you are good to read :)

[Jacob Clifford]

When it comes to writer's block, the struggle is eternal. I can't really say I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing this monster, but I suppose we writers can be there to support one another. Thanks again for reading my writing.