Yep, having one today. I got the snap start to a story and it just fizzled by early afternoon. It’s one of those things all writers, and am guessing all creative people run into.
I was talking to my kid about this while walking the dog this evening. Sometimes you’re just firing on all cylinders, in your zen place, pick whatever metaphor you like, and you can write until the sun comes up (or goes down if you’re that early morning writer). And other days, nothing sounds like it’s worth anything.
So what did I do about it? Left the keyboard and stayed away from it until . . . it’s about 11:30 pm. I’ve hit these spaces and moments before and I have learned not to fear them, not to freak out, and not to wonder if this is it–the end of my creative streaks.
I’ve watched myself over the years and realized one day that I’ve got rhythms of writing. Some days I’m on and some days not. I’ve said this before, but I’ve got seasons to writing too. I’ve also taken to the idea that I have to let my creative batteries recharge by doing things other than writing. OR, find other ways to express myself creatively–like what I’m doing right this moment.
The blog is a different kind of writing and really I’m just analyzing my mood and my process here so it’s easy to jabber at you. I love the psychology of writing–for my characters, but also for myself. There is a real structure and process to it, and it fascinates me too. I’m always curious about other writers and their work habits to see how they differ from mine. Some really like a rigid structure for churning out stories and others, like myself, seem to live in chaos by comparison :).
I write steadily and often, but when I have those days like today, where the gears shut down, I have learned to walk away. I trust my inner creative engine needs a break or is sorting something out on my behalf, and I need to leave it alone and let it do its thing. Otherwise I risk messing with the entire operation.
So, here we are. Keep at your own writing, but I’m a big believer in trusting your instincts on story creation. Your mind will tell you how to proceed. Alright, I’m feeling tired and still worn down creatively so I think I’ll read and call it early tonight.
Catch you next round!
Craig