Friday, December 10, 2010

Inspiration

As anybody who writes regularly will tell you... Writer's block is a bitch.

I've been blocked before. The last serious stretch was nearly a year long, and it frustrated the hell out of me. I would, literally, sit down with the intentions of writing something and come up with nothing. Sometimes I'd get as far as one paragraph and decide the whole thing was crap, close out of Microsoft Word and go check my e-mail instead. I had a virtual wastebasket full of crumpled up paper.

When I was in high school, I almost never wrote rough drafts to any paper. I would even write some of them within hours of it being due (because I'm awesome at procrastination) and still get A's on them. In college I did the same thing, and I even helped friends with their papers (for free). It was like a super power. I, Destiny Fritz, bullshitted my way through just about any paper I had to write, and I did it well.

In my old blogging days I posted several blogs a week and had no problem coming up with things to say. Part of this is because I talk too much (an endearing quality I've inherited from my grandmother... or so I'm told :), but part of it is also because I was inspired.

Inspiration comes to me randomly, really. One of the best fiction short stories I've written was an idea I got while listening to a classic rock song. I've also mused about having a muse. My muse, by the way, is a fabulous man. He kicks all other muse butt, and dresses better than they do, too. No matter how I get my inspiration, I get it, and when I don't get it for a while I get kind of antsy.

Which brings me back to being blocked. Right now, I'm fortunate enough to not have a barricade in my brain, but I worry that tomorrow may not be the same. That statement will surprise my mother, because she thinks I never worry. Not true. I worry about things... it's just most of the things I worry about are a little more obscure (another trait I've inherited. Grandpa was the worrier of the two).

I guess it's a once bitten, twice shy sort of thing. Before I was blocked the idea of a blog didn't scare me or seem daunting. Now that I've had a rough period of time with my writing, I feel more trepidation towards it. It's not that I'm scared to write... I love writing. It's that I'm scared of the commitment of doing something that, if I want it to be at all successful, needs to be done practically every day. What if I get blocked again?

I guess the only thing to do is face the fear, right? That's what they say about dating. The only way to move on from a broken heart is, after some time, get back out there and face the fear that it could happen again. You can't get it right if you never try.

When thinking about what my next post would be after the great feedback I got from the last, I tossed around a lot of ideas. I could have gone with any number of them, and I still might. Just sit tight. I guess I'm getting to it. I'm a habitual beat around the busher. If that makes any sense.

Right now I'm just trying to harness inspiration and pay attention to where it's coming from. Now... if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have a conversation with a fabulous, well-dressed, man.

Toodles.

3 comments:

  1. never thought of you as the type of person to say "toodles." This may be because in spite of the fact that we are related ... i really don't know you that well. Hopefully I will get to know you better by reading your blog. xo - e

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  2. Finally able to follow your blogs! You saw my comment on your facebook post, so I'll say one more time that I'm glad you're writing again and can't wait to see what comes next! :)

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  3. that was me too - in high school and college. i wrote one three-page paper in college and they gave me a half of a writing lab credit. just like that - BOOM! - half a credit. but blocks are awful. the inspiration has to be there.

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