October 26, 2010
Writers’ Block? Nope. Life drain.
I want to write. I’ve got ideas floating around in my head. What I don’t have is the energy, the spark that drives writers to pen and paper (in my case) or the computer (also in my case) and write until their hands cramp.
I didn’t start this blog with the intent to write too many personal details about my life. For one, I don’t think many people would find my life that interesting. However, I dealt with a high level of stress that began in July and didn’t really ease until about a week ago. There are still a few effects lingering from that life episode. One being a lack of decent sleep. Two being the kind of energy drain and mild depression that leaves you sitting in front of the TV watching anything that lets you escape from your cares.
Some of my writer friends are able to channel their stresses, cares, worries, and life events into the kind of creative writing I envy. I don’t think that I can do that. I had a discussion with my friend AW, The Poet, about how we have a difficult time writing with poignancy. When we hear an excerpt from a contest winner, they’ve always got these truly emotional stories or characters that tug the heart strings.
Whenever I write something like that, it comes across to me as false, fake, corny, whatever you want to call it, it feels wrong to display that much emotion in a public forum. Does that make me a bad writer? Is it just fear that holds me back?
Anyway, the spark is coming back. Life is no longer draining the life out of me. Now the problem is time and avoiding the lure of the glowing box with its ready made stories and pretty pictures.
What do you do when life get’s in the way of writing?
