garrgh

I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me, but I can’t write. I’ve started and stopped so many times this morning, I lost count.
I want to write. I need to write, but I can’t get my words to work. I’ve grown so frustrated, I want to scream.
I mean, it took me several minutes just to write that, for fuck’s sake.

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102 thoughts on “garrgh”

  2. {{{wil}}}
    hang in there… the words will come.
    You’ve proved that you can write already, so it’s just a matter of having a cuppa tea or something and relaxing until the words come.

  3. Ah the writer’s block. I think that we all have had the creative door get stuck on us from time to time.
    But hang in there homey, I have been lurking around your site for a few weeks now and have really enjoyed your writings. So I am sure that it goes without saying that you will get your literary mojo back on soon.
    Prophet out.

  4. Maybe you could do some free association to get started.
    Hah, little ole me giving writing advice to a published and acclaimed writer!
    Hang in there, it’ll come to you!
    –Jessie–

  6. I’m not a writer, so I can’t claim to know what you’re going through, buy maybe write something that already exists. The Pledge of Allegiance (okay, maybe a bad choice!), family names, song lyrics, just to get words flowing.

  9. Wil, you are an amazing writer! I understand how frustrating it is when you can’t do what you want to do, so badly. Try some free thinking and write down your stream of consciousness to get all your frustration out and perhaps it’ll unclog whatever it is that is blocking you.

  11. Once your brain calms down I am sure the words will flow….maybe it is like the more you try to write the more you can’t…..so maybe stop trying so hard

  13. Douglas Adams used to say that when he had writers block he would take a warm bath and have a sandwich. Even if it doesn’t clear the writer’s block, at least you are warm and well-fed. :o)

  14. I can sympathize as well. I just found out that a job I was almost guaranteed I’d get back in late May has just been filed with someone else today (yes, that *IS* about 5 months I’ve been holding out) and another job I applied for is being filled with someone else.
    I guess I just need to focus on the good things, like the fact that I *have* a job and a wonderful wife and two beautiful kids.
    But looking at my calendar of meetings all day, I just want to blow every single one of them off.

  15. Wil, I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and know for a fact you can write. But man, sometimes you can’t avoid the wall. My fiance is a writer and Bob knows she’s been there. You know what, though? It’s a beautiful morning here in L.A. Go out. Walk. Go to the flower shop and buy Anne some flowers. It’s all good, man. You’ll be back to your writings in no time!

  16. Do you think that you are expecting too much of yourself? Just chill, go GeoCaching, spend the day in a non-writing scene. The words will come back to you, just in the nick of time.

  17. I think you should take all the advice here so far:
    Take your GPS to find a cache at the flower shop while having a sandwich and a cup of tea. Be sure walk to the flower shop by way of the park and if they have a fountain, take a relaxing bath while writing free-association style!
    –Jessie–

  18. the human mind goes in cycles, Wil. If you cannot create, you might want to try being receptive instead. Or meditate. Clear your mind. Dig below the surface in your mind; you may be trying to tell yourself something you’re ignoring, that could be what’s blocking you. Don’t give yourself an ultimatum. If you do, you’re paralyzed.

  19. Get yer butt over to wherever it is you do your little writing thing and get at it…when you are sittiing where you sit when you write…..you are writing.
    Good lord, do I have to teach you kids everything?
    Chin up boss,
    CIO

  20. Wil,
    I don’t think that this is listed in WebMD, but it should be. The “Chicken Soup Cure” for writer’s block.
    1- Start of with plenty of beer. You choose the beer, just make sure it’s enough to actually feel it. You may add chips, (potato or tortilla), to build a foundation for the beer. Stay away from those fat free ‘Olestra’ stool softening chips, as they may get in the way of Step 2.
    2- Finish off with a round of satisfying sex. Preferably with the wife, but you can make do with what’s available at that moment.
    After completing steps 1 and 2, you will feel both drained and bloated at the same time. It’s a balanced feeling that gets the words flowing (as well as other things).
    Hope that helps.
    Eric B

  23. This is what happens to Linux converts. Go back to using MS Word, and the words will come. Oh, and be sure turn off the Writer’s Block feature(Tools/Options/Advanced/Super Advanced/Remove Writer’s Block). 🙂
    Just kidding. Good luck.

  24. Welcome to my life, Wil. 😉 I’m writing my dissertation in EE and I have my share of days where I’d rather stick a fork in my eye than stare at the blinking cursor.

  25. Writer’s block is a plague for which there’s no certain cure–except time. I don’t mean that in a “tough, suck it up!” kind of way, either; it can be a blessing. If there are issues that need working through, then they’ll slowly, surely work themselves out, no matter how long it takes. I hope it’ll be sooner than later for you. Stay strong 🙂

  27. Get away from the screen for a little while. If it won’t come out ,don’t force it. Go do something you don’t normally do. When you get done and or back in a couple of hours write about the evperience, even if its crap in a couple of paragraphs you’ll pull out of it and start writing what you want. Go back and delete the crap when you’r done.

  28. Ah, the Muse. Sometimes she’s a prude, and other times she lets you use her like a twenty dollar hooker. Do something completely self absorbed, something you wouldn’t normally do, until she decides to put out.

  29. What my creative writing class does in general is start any writing day with ten minutes of just freewriting… sometimes it comes out as a frustrated string of explicatives or the same jibberish word over and over. Just dont let your hand stop writing for that ten minutes.
    The point is to write out what ever is carried with you into the session. I personally have written for ten minutes about how I couldnt get my boyfriend out of my head so I could write about other things. It helps.
    The teacher recommends ten minutes every day, but I usually only get it doe a couple times a week. Its only through expunging the mental clutter that I can write sometimes. Hope the second hand advice helps. 😀

  30. Heya Wil,
    Relax, man. Don’t sweat the writing. To borrow an analogy: “You’ll blow out your O-ring!” (Unpleasant image, but it’s still apt.)
    I do a bit of writing, myself, and it’s always tougher when I pile the pressure on myself. Every word doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to get monstrous wordcounts for the day. Give yourself permission for that, read a book, take a walk, spend time with the family, and the words will come. I’ve got faith in you. 🙂

  31. I don’t know if this will help, but give it a shot:
    Try writing out something that you already know by heart, like the Pledge of Allegiance (with or without “under God”, whichever you like) or the preamble to the Constitution (and for bonus points, try remembering the tune that was sung in the Schoolhouse Rock segment on the Preamble).
    Anyway, the idea is to get your grey matter used to pumping out some words via your fingertips. You’ll be concentrating more on remembering the words, and typing them, and less on how blocked you are.
    That’s the theory, anyway.
    Or you could just write page after page of “All work and no play makes Willie a dull boy”, then go try to axe-murder your wife and kids. But try my earlier suggestion first.

  32. Firstly, take a deep breath, buddy. Secondly, it aint too early in the day for a brusky. Especially if it’s Guinness. Then it’s really just a liquid lunch. Thirdly, take another deep breath. And fourthly… I dunno. Take another deep breath er sumfin. Marv Wolfman says when he can’t think of anything to write he goes to the movies :)Listen to Marv.

  33. I’ve written a bit of everything over the last 20 years or so, starting in High School. I think much of the problem with myself and other writers is that in our society we are indoctrinated to expect speed in everything. Our meals are fast, our travel is fast, our satisfaction is fast. Perhaps this applies to you as well, but when I write, I find myself ahead of where I want to be.
    In other words, my mind has finished and found its satisfaction long before my fingers can catch up. Then, every page …every word… is a struggle.
    I’ve only found two resolutions to this impasse, but they may work for you.
    1. Change the direction of your writing, immediately. Just *do* it! Plunge in and go in a different direction that your mind hasn’t been expecting. Yeah, it’s not true to your original vision, but it can give you the impetus to keep going.
    2. Finish something. One thing. Anything. Whether its washing dishes, cleaning counter tops, reading a magazine article you’d meant to finish, playing catch with your kids or any number of items that you tend to feel guilty for having “put off”, do one of them, in its entirity. This can help assuage that other little fear that keeps many of us from writing: guilt.
    I’m a bad person to give advice on this topic; I’m notorious at procrastination. I think the biggest thing keeping me from being a writer is the dedication to finish what I begin. However, on those occasions that I do complete what I set out to accomplish, it really does make up for all the times I sat on my ass doing nothing.
    Just some encouragement for you, Wil. Take care and best of luck!
    Yours,
    Dave (Sylvan)

  34. Hi Wil! I’m telling you, if you are having writers block, you should take a break for November and try National Novel Writing Month. (www.nanowrimo.org) It is such a great exercise for getting out of your head and just writing. You are forced to let go of that nasty internal editor for a month and just get words, any words, onto the page. Doesn’t have to be good, doesn’t have to be coherent, it just has to be 50,000 words. Check it out.
    (I just realized this sounds kind of like shameless promotion or something, but it isn’t. I just am a fan of the NaNo and like to share.)
    Chin up, sailor! We all get this way. Even if you can’t give up an entire month to it, get away from what you are working on and just write some random crap. Write “I don’t know what to write” over and over until you start rambling about how you can’t write anything. I don’t know it helps me.
    Anyway, writing mojo on its way.

  36. Wil,
    You can do this. Just relax, take a deep breathe. You’ve been doing this for years. It’s just a little writer’s block.
    The previous comments have mentioned a good number of things that will help: such as focus on writing something else other than what you are currently working on and going to finish another activity.
    Otherwise, go for a long walk and try not to stress so much.
    And remember that we’re here for you if you need us.

  37. Hey Wil…
    Lot’s of good advice here. I’m surprised no one mentioned Dineyland…I know you like the place. Go have some fun. The writing will still be there when you get back.

  38. wil-
    I’ll tell you what I do when I’m having trouble getting over a severe case of writers’ cramp…Oh wait. I’ve never gotten over it… Just joking! I guess you need to just be one with the words. That and playing word association games get my thoughts moving. Sometimes in a good direction, even! I’ll toss you out a word and see what you come back with. Pretzel.

  40. Wil,
    I’ve found that when words are the enemy, I need to just do something to get my mind off of writing but not away from words.
    Go to Yahoo! games into the free games sections. There are lots of word games like crosswords, scrabble, boggle, etc. It helps me clear my mind but keeps my head in think mode.
    And as an extra special bonus, it’ll remind you that you do own an extensive vocabulary despite the fact that no amount of force will make it flow from your brain to your computer via your fingertips. I suggest Typer Shark. Its a fun one.
    Allie

  41. Perhaps a spin of lateralus will do you some good… You sound pretty bad off so you better skip straight to 7 and then 9.
    Good luck,
    — Chad

  43. Thanks, everyone. I think I know what’s going on: there’s this big monster called “Stress” standing between me and the words. When I am able to deal with him, I’ll be able to write again.
    I think.
    Thank you all for the advice and encouragement.

  44. Wil, the best piece of advice I can give you to bust down the block is what I did: take the time to sit down and write out the thing you’re most scared of writing, or the piece you’re afraid other people will misinterpret, or an essay on the worst aspect of yourself or your writing. Write about the little editor in you brain that’s stifling your words, and how you want to choke the life out of the little shit. Threaten him. Hell, kill him, if you want, in a gratuitous, Tarentino-like fashion.
    That’ll learn ’em.
    Just sit down and force it out until it goes clear. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, vocabulary, just get it all down on paper.
    I’ve found that this technique is a roto-rooter for the mind; it cleans out all the gunk and crap that causes writer’s block.
    Since I tried it, I’ve yet to be significantly blocked. (I’ve gotten fatigue over a topic or story, sure, and had to switch to a different one to freshen up and recharge, but I haven’t really been stonewalled thus far.)
    Give it a whirl.
    CU

  46. i hated writing my thesis. but i learned something: deadlines can make you productive. just wait. if you get that feeling in your guts that this will never work, write. a pounding heart provides a great rythm…
    first time i post something here, so:
    hi wil! greetings from austria.

  47. I totally sympathize, Wil. But at least you are not lying in bed with a combination of a sinus infection and morning sickness. I sound like Darth Vader! I thought the MS was bad! I think the Big Guy decided to teach me a complaining lesson, and tossed sinus infection on top of it! Yeesh.
    Go take a break for awhile, the writing won’t come if you try to force yourself. 🙂
    Katie in Tennessee

  49. Brain Fart! Massive Brain Fart!
    There’s only one answer…….
    FIRE IN THE HOLE!
    *boom*
    …. ready for your Pulitzer, Mister Wheaton….

  50. *Runs screaming from the HMIC*
    To respectfully mis-coin a phrase from Zevon…..
    “You’ll write when yer dead”?
    “Stress”, in the same sense as “not being able to write” is part of writing. Writers are able to ply their craft with varrying success at different stress levels. You seem like somebody who handles stress pretty well a lot of the time. You recognize it as stress and deal with it.
    A suggestion….explore stress not as stress, but as dukkha . Embrace stress as part of life, and then work towards making it an ally. If you get to the point where stress just “is” …..hmm…well, I have no idea exactly what happens, but I guess it’s pretty cool.
    Go…..shooo…you’re writing 😉

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