Writer’s block never fails to disappoint, I often finding myself sitting in front of the computer screen, an hour or two before the next blog post is due. Sitting there, opened to a new post on blogger, contemplating on what my opening topic should be this week. I then realize I am in the position where my mind is at a standstill, a writers block, and I wonder how long it will last this time. The creativity flowing through my veins are still existent, but their emphasis is found in my visual pieces rather than my written or spoken words. Inspiration is within reaching distance but my mind’s energy has reached an all-time low, too exhausted to grasp anything. Forming words and phrases has grown tiresome and my brain just yearns to stop working. Physically, mentally, emotionally, I’m at a complete standstill.
I love the fact that we, as students, get our own blogs. It makes things feel much more personal, unleashing our creativity through words because we can do it in our own comfortable environment. However, the down side is that, we also have access to everything else the Internet has to offer. Yes, I have a Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Tumblr, MSN, Skype , AIM account, and etc. These social-networking devices affect how I write because I easily get sidetracked. With all these distractions and more, I cannot channel my focus on one thing (like that quick-write topic said). That is the main reason why I tend to get stuck.
A sure fire way I get unstuck is through inspiration. When I am deep in thought or powered by a strong emotion is when I can express myself the best. In the end, I have come to one conclusion. Writers block is not real, I think it is more like a state of mind. There is always something to write about. You can write about a cup of coffee and make that cup of coffee sound amazing, but I highly doubt any writer is blocked from creating. It is usually when you think you have nothing worth saying, you end up creating your own imaginative blockade.
2. Choose one of your posts. (Your favorite? Your least favorite? The one that surprises you the most when you reread it? Any one you want to pick.) Analyze it in detail, with quotes etc.
A post I would like to discuss is about sarcasm. Titled Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson, written on Dec 18, 2009, this is a post fueled by anger, annoyance, and the sheer stupidity of others. This post is an example of yet another time writers block decides invades my mind because I submitted it two minutes before the deadline. I was done putting up with people getting butt hurt over the things I say, that is what influence me to rant about sarcasm.
"Keeping my criticism to myself is not easily done, I'd rather be too honest rather than real fake." In this quote, I was describing why sarcasm works for me, why it is a daily dosage of my life. After writing this, I found myself unhappy with myself, trying to be honest to why I would say some of the things I say. In this post, I wrote out of emotion and putting it on a personal level. It also taught me about how I write. Blogging things out helped me figure out my situation from a different perspective, tackling the problem from a different point of view even though I was not aware of it until the end. "Sarcasm does not work online. Don’t let them misunderstand you, if you’re going to write plain text through the Internet, then give me some form or hint of sarcasm in your tone. Possible to pull off if you know the person well." After posting this, I realized I was guilty of my own accusation and that I should practice what I preach because I have been contradicting myself in my own writing. Blogging, to me, is a helpful way to identify myself and help me grow as a person. Whether it be to your friend, the Internet audience, or just saved as a draft, writing things out helps you approach things in better perspective.
10. Where do you get your ideas for blog post topics? What inspires you to write?
This ties back to the question about my struggles with writers block how I overcome them. Inspiration is everywhere in fact, in places you'd never expect it to be and right in front of your eyes. I think more than I actually write, and at times, I am unable to express my feelings on paper profoundly and thoroughly. There is too much going on in my head.
When I am writing about something I'm really into, I end up ignoring everything else. I do not want my thought to suddenly leave, I don’t want a writer’s block to somehow pop up if I stop writing. My mind is already creatively arranging my ideas into words and phrases so I need to write them down somewhere or else I’ll regret losing my train of thought later. I get inspired to write when I read thought-provoking questions or when I am going through certain feelings and situations. I cannot let the moment pass, and then write about it. As the emotions die down, the quality of what I write dies down with it.
Many times, I get my ideas from current events, quick-writes, or occurrences my own life. In the very beginning, we made a statement of purpose telling ourselves what we would write about. Yes, this has help many people with their blogs, but it did the opposite for me. I choose to write about Food reviews in Alameda, and in the next couple of weeks, I felt pressured to write something fitting, when in reality, I knew I wanted to write about something else. The topic was not wide enough so I decided to expand to any establishment in the bay area. In the end, I lost the battle to writers block and just wrote whatever was on my mind.
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