Writers Block?
December 9th 2006 21:54
Writers Block. Demon or Muse gone bad?
The curse of writers every where. Does it really exist? Can it consume your soul? Rot your brain? Turn you into a mumbling, mindless fool at the keyboard?
Why should we believe in such a monster? If it exists, then point it out, shove it into the bright light of day, expose it for what it is claimed to be.
Well, I’m waiting. . .
Show me this beast that eats the words from your very mind.
You can’t, can you?
But I can, the face of this ravening beast is as close as your mirror.
Honestly folks, writers block does not exist, except as an excuse not to listen to our subconscious.
Writers block - Muse, Muse - Writers block, two sides of the same coin. Everyone wants the Muse and no one wants writers block, I’m sorry, but you can’t toss a heads every time (well, not unless you use an Australian two dollar coin).
As writers we all suffer from bouts of not being able to put words on paper (or screen as may be) but it’s not because of some evil beast spawned from the nether regions sent to destroy us.
The conscious mind has an ego as big as the Queen Mary. In fact there are those that would have it that the conscious mind is all “EGO”. What ever the truth is, the fact remains that the conscious mind is dead set certain that it is the boss.
But it’s a lot like marriage. In this union we have the conscious mind (male) and the unconscious mind (female, this is where we get the concept of the muse).
Let’s take this simile a step further. WB says he is going to watch the football on the weekend, M says WB is going to paint the bed room on the weekend. If they don’t come to an agreement then the weekend is going to be a dead loss.
So you might consciously decide to write, the subconscious says ‘Hang on a moment, we’re not ready to write yet.’ Now the conscious mind might insist that the writing will be done Now! So you sit down at the keyboard and. . . write a line, delete the line, get up, sit down, wipe the counter, fiddle with the radio, put out the cat, make another cup of tea, let the cat in, etc, etc.
Yes, we have all been there. And yes, the conscious mind can over ride the subconscious. And yes, a lot of therapists will buy a new BMWs.
Writers block does not exist.
Ah, but the Muse. She is real. She is the personification of balance between the conscious and subconscious. To find your muse is to find that balance.
So if you hit a patch where the words won’t flow, relax. The words are there. They’re just being sorted out by the subconscious. Go and do something else, anything else. When the words are ready for use, you will be ready to use them.
But if you let the ego rant about writers block, then for you, it will exist.
The curse of writers every where. Does it really exist? Can it consume your soul? Rot your brain? Turn you into a mumbling, mindless fool at the keyboard?
Why should we believe in such a monster? If it exists, then point it out, shove it into the bright light of day, expose it for what it is claimed to be.
Well, I’m waiting. . .
Show me this beast that eats the words from your very mind.
You can’t, can you?
But I can, the face of this ravening beast is as close as your mirror.
Honestly folks, writers block does not exist, except as an excuse not to listen to our subconscious.
Writers block - Muse, Muse - Writers block, two sides of the same coin. Everyone wants the Muse and no one wants writers block, I’m sorry, but you can’t toss a heads every time (well, not unless you use an Australian two dollar coin).
As writers we all suffer from bouts of not being able to put words on paper (or screen as may be) but it’s not because of some evil beast spawned from the nether regions sent to destroy us.
The conscious mind has an ego as big as the Queen Mary. In fact there are those that would have it that the conscious mind is all “EGO”. What ever the truth is, the fact remains that the conscious mind is dead set certain that it is the boss.
But it’s a lot like marriage. In this union we have the conscious mind (male) and the unconscious mind (female, this is where we get the concept of the muse).
Let’s take this simile a step further. WB says he is going to watch the football on the weekend, M says WB is going to paint the bed room on the weekend. If they don’t come to an agreement then the weekend is going to be a dead loss.
So you might consciously decide to write, the subconscious says ‘Hang on a moment, we’re not ready to write yet.’ Now the conscious mind might insist that the writing will be done Now! So you sit down at the keyboard and. . . write a line, delete the line, get up, sit down, wipe the counter, fiddle with the radio, put out the cat, make another cup of tea, let the cat in, etc, etc.
Yes, we have all been there. And yes, the conscious mind can over ride the subconscious. And yes, a lot of therapists will buy a new BMWs.
Writers block does not exist.
Ah, but the Muse. She is real. She is the personification of balance between the conscious and subconscious. To find your muse is to find that balance.
So if you hit a patch where the words won’t flow, relax. The words are there. They’re just being sorted out by the subconscious. Go and do something else, anything else. When the words are ready for use, you will be ready to use them.
But if you let the ego rant about writers block, then for you, it will exist.
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Comment by LaurenD
LaurenD
Comment by K.L. Almeroth
Motherhood
Hi George,
I love this, for obvious reasons...you know I struggle with writer's block...so it's great to read this.
You are completely right, of course...it doesn't exsist!
But I've got to have something to blame for my procrastination! Other than DVD's, reading other people's books...that sort of thing.
'I can't write, that damn Writer's Block has got me...I think I'll just go to bed with some chocolate and the latest Dean Koontz book.'
Yeah. That's me!!
Your mad pal,
K.L.
Comment by Bullamakanka
Hughie's Ziff
Bagman's Gazette
Glad to see someone is reading my sad posts.
As you say "self-doubt and finger-biting".
All the same in the end.
Comment by Bullamakanka
Hughie's Ziff
Bagman's Gazette
Thank you for reading and the comment.
I really don't care if people don't leave a comment as long as they can say that they learned something from my writings.
But, Damn, it does get lonely at times.
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
Lily from Ars Poetica suggested I come and read your post. I am suffering from the dreaded writer's block.
I am inspired by your words. so I'm going to make a cup of tea (just one, I promise) sit and relax and let the words flow.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Comment by Bullamakanka
Hughie's Ziff
Bagman's Gazette
Thank you for your comment.
You know those times the word is on the tip of your tongue but you just can't quite grasp it. later when you are doing something totally unrelated the word just appears.
It is the same with writers block.
George