It's taken me a while to post. I decided to take a little break from writing. That happens when the voice in my head tells me that all my wonderful ideas really aren't so wonderful, and I'd be better off not putting them on paper. When I start to buy into that idea writer's block sets in.
For me the block isn't a lack of ideas, it's a lack of confidence in those ideas. Happens to all writers, I'm told. In addition I've decided to start writing short stories again. Yet another reason for fear to set in.
What happens when all those great ideas don't sound so great once they're written down? The answer is, keep writing anyway. Those voices in my head (I know that sounds weird, but stick with me here) will always try to throw me off. The job for me is to keep writing in spite of them.
In addition to blog posts, I've also been writing articles. Unfortunately, I find that writing articles for others is a bit troublesome. Most people I've written for seem to think that all they have to do is give me the topic, then I write it and it's perfect. They have no clue that writing is like making bread. You knead it, you roll it around, you let it do its thing, then you repeat. It doesn't just jump from my head to the page fully formed.
What I write will never look exactly like what they would have written in their voice, just as what I put down on the page isn't exactly what's in my head. It changes, it expands or contracts - you find new directions and go beyond your original idea. That's what happens when you write, or at least that's what happens when I do.
Friday
Procrastinating Again
Why do I procrastinate?
I can see the entire story, I know how it plays out. The characters all fall into line perfectly and say the right things at the right time. Scenes fall into place effortlessly and the words flow and flow and flow. In reality I wish it could be that way once I start writing, but usually it's not. That's where procrastination comes in. It devises little tasks for me to occupy my time.
There are those times that having a lot of ideas can be as frightening as not having any.
I can see the entire story, I know how it plays out. The characters all fall into line perfectly and say the right things at the right time. Scenes fall into place effortlessly and the words flow and flow and flow. In reality I wish it could be that way once I start writing, but usually it's not. That's where procrastination comes in. It devises little tasks for me to occupy my time.
There are those times that having a lot of ideas can be as frightening as not having any.
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