Writer’s Block : Confessions of a Writer
Have I run out of ideas?
For the past few days, I’ve been wondering what to write about in my next medium post. I’ve been thinking and rethinking reading day and night. I get the idea I feel it would work and then lose interest in it. Sometimes the idea seems interesting to talk about but turns out a myriad of people have already written about it so again it had to be dropped.
Every morning I sit with a blank page to pour something out on it, but by the end of the day, it remains a blank page.
I don’t know if it’s writer’s block or what. Have I run out of ideas? I won’t say that there’s a lack of inspiration, no that would sound moronic. As inspiration is everywhere it is in abundance, I have already proclaimed it in one of my stories.
When I am unable to transcribe any idea a negative mind chatter starts, “Perhaps you are not good enough to be a writer. Look how every writer on the medium is outshining. They post daily and make a good earning out of it. Will you ever be able to reach there? There’s a long way to go and you’ve already drained out. I think you should quit and look for something else.”
Then a positive monologue would counter-attack, “No you’re not a quitter. It’s just a phase you’ll get through soon and would excel like every other writer on medium. They too would have come across this stage of writing. Their progress would have been slow initially. However, they attained that success because they persevered.
Your past posts have been getting such praise and acknowledgment from writers, which for you has always been a great confidence booster. Then how could you dare to think about quitting?”
The reason I am writing about this experience of mine is I am certain that a lot of writers must have been facing it or must have faced that kind of situation in the past.
I believe it’s a part of every writer’s journey when we feel that we have run out of ideas and words. We get overwhelmed by seeing the competition around in the writing world.
We sit in a corner of the room timid and meek with a blank page or endlessly gazing at the flashing line of the docs sheet on our laptop screen. Pressuring ourselves to “write something or you’ll be left behind in this race, you’ll lose followers and fans.”
Every night I sleep telling myself tomorrow I am surely going to post a story. Sometimes I fail, that doesn’t mean I’ve failed forever, tomorrow comes again and I win.
Pressing that ‘publish’ button gives me a sense of relief. Like I’ve achieved a milestone.
Remember that writing never happens under pressure, it needs an eased and relaxed mind.
If it doesn’t happen give yourself time, let your mind rejuvenate. Indulge in activities that you enjoy. Go for a walk, spend time with kids, play, dance, cook. Last but not least, read as much as you can.
I am sure one post a day would take you to the heights you want to be in your writer’s journey. Although in between, you’ll stumble upon a thing called writer’s block. Whenever you do, start writing about writer’s block itself. Just like I’ve done now. That in a way is better than not writing at all and burdening yourself with negativity.
Wait, have I already written down 500+ words?
Is that what writer’s block looks like or have I been self-deluding?
