Blocked

I do a really good job staying positive, especially with my writing. However, I have hit a wall, and thus, I am blocked and have been for several days.

If only I could see a doctor. It does feel like being sick without visible symptoms. There is a pill for restless legs, broken hearts, short eyelashes, and flaccid penises, so why can't I take a pill for writer's block? If I explained that the light bulb of my soul has temporarily burnt out, that it's a struggle just to breathe, that if I were to walk it would be in circles, surely the doctor would have some kind of solution besides me feeling around in the darkness of my mind, trying to find that harmonious place where I belong.

My characters can't help me. They are too busy hiding behind thick, dark redwoods. And unless someone has experienced blockage of their own, there is no making anyone else understand. Writing is a lonely profession. And the struggles that come with it are faced alone.

This isn't the first time I haven't felt myself. It will not be the last. When I think about all the other writers out there who go through the same struggles, I think I just might belong here after all.

Ego Schmego

If egos could power the world, nothing would ever need to be plugged in.

Some people think that because of what they do, or the money they make, or just because they are who they are, they are something special. I don't think there is anything wrong with one recognizing one's talents. We all have specialties we can bring to the table. But that shouldn't be confused with thinking we deserve to be at the table more than someone else.

When it comes to writing, there is an exceptional amount of ego. I have met a few writers who think they are so special that they don't bother to proofread. Or maybe they do proofread but because they are blinded by their ego, they see nothing wrong with their comma spices, misspellings, unintended fragments, and run-on sentences.

I do not write from a place of ego. I write because I have to. Without it, I would suffer. Am I the best writer? Hardly. Is that all right with me? Absolutely. I believe there is room for everyone, and because of that, I don't need to be better than anyone but me.

So then, why blog? Why post it to Facebook? Why do the things that can be construed as egotistical? Because writing is a business. In the same way department stores advertise in newspapers, I advertise by blogging. People need to be attracted to products or they won't sell.

A writer's success has everything to do with connecting to an audience. That is why I do the things I swore I would never do, like blogging. Is it working? If I had an ego, I would think, Yes, it is.

Unfocused

I have a variety of things I am trying to do right now, like I can do them all at the same time:

Writing another novel. Rewriting my synopsis. Perfecting a query for an agent. Chatting with a couple of friends. And now this.

I'm struggling with focus right now. I should pick one thing and get it done, then move on to another. But for some reason, that's not happening.

Is it the weather? I wish. I would just pull the blinds.

Is it my diet? If only. I would just stop eating.

Is it because I want everything to happen right now? Probably.

Writing is not only a solitary profession, it also requires perseverance. If any of you out there find you're reading this because you're putting something off, remember that time is going to pass regardless of what you do with it. Our time here is short, and we all have things to do.

So let's stop putting off what we know we should be doing. Like checking our gmail and checking our yahoo mail and checking out the Daily Beast for today's top stories and looking at the weather cam to see if it's snowing and checking our cell phones for any missed texts!