Comments on: There is no such thing as writer’s block!

By: Melissa Morris

Melissa Morris — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:56:49 +0000

Lisa,
Thank you for sharing your story. I am sure that others can relate to your experience, and if not yet – hopefully they will be inspired by it!
~Melissa

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:27:07 +0000

I used to write on a very regular basis when I was in college, going on six years ago now, and when I look back on my writing from that time, I sometimes want to cry- it came so easily to me then! I found something to write about at every turn. There was inspiration everywhere. Everything around me was a poem. The most everyday occurrence or object brought words to mind, strung together in seemingly perfect phrasing to capture exactly that which I wanted to preserve of the moment. Years have passed since I wrote on such a regular basis. Last year, during my first year of teaching, I hardly ever put pen to paper- it was all I could do just to make it through each exhausting day, wake up and do it all over again the next! The concept of leisure time became foreign to me. I was pretty convinced that my days as a writer of any kind were over. Then, one morning, I was driving to work when I found myself stopped at a light on Joyce Kilmer Ave. where I’d stopped on many other mornings. But something was different. It had just stopped raining and the sun had broken through and was shining against the side of this sand-colored, brick building on the corner, making it look golden. Raindrops that had fallen and gathered near the edge of the street flowed against the curb and glinted like diamonds. I quickly made a mental note of the scene before me and promised myself I would jot down some words to describe it as soon as I got my hands on some paper. In that instant, I felt my old self come back again, and I realized that the writer inside of us never goes away completely, but if we do not keep her active, as you say, and just write SOMEthing down on a regular basis, the writer in each of us can shrink away and it will be that much more challenging (but also that much more pleasantly surprising…) when we decide to summon her again.

By: Melissa Morris

Melissa Morris — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:48:54 +0000

Umbrellawhite,
I am so glad that you find the ideas helpful. I like the way that you phrased “feeling the environment” and I agree that it is a great strategy for finding new ideas. I would probably categorize that under the “using your resources” section, because traveling to new places, meeting new people, and just plain old people watching can certainly be inspiring. Best of luck with your story! ~Melissa

By: umbrellawhite

umbrellawhite — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:41:39 +0000

Thank you so much, I’ve been trying to get rid of “writer’s block”, and your list of ways to get “unstuck” really helps! I’m working on a new story now, and I sure will try these methods. Thank you Melissa! By the way, when we’re out, like in a train or something, we can always find new ideas by feeling the environment! Like the person beside you…he may inspire something. I always heard about this and I decided to try it out this afternoon. Did a lot of freewriting inspired by the environment and people.