writer's block

by Karen Dums


All writers get it, or so I assume. That time of staring at a blank sheet of paper, or a blank computer screen. A few words are written, then scratched out with a pen, tearing holes in the paper. A few words are typed, then backspace takes a few hits, all are deleted. It leaves me to wonder...

Ideas are all about us, floating just above our reach, knocking at the doors of our consciousness. Or is there more that leads to the blank page? Are we fearful? Who will find our words worth reading? Are we lazy? I just don't have time. Maybe we truly don't have time...or think we can't make it.

A few weeks back I threw out a prompt "what is the greatest invention ever created?" It didn't even have to be a REAL invention. Writers could use their imaginations freely. Guild member Linda Rybak came up with an interesting invention. A time bank. Her premise was that we could take back all the time we've wasted through the years and be given new time to spend in more satisfactory ways. Maybe we could call it time laundering. Criminals do it with money and we're not criminals. Discussion ensued among Guild members carrying her idea further.  What if it was like an actual bank account. There we deposit money, withdrawing it when needed. So too with time. Time could be deposited, withdrawn when needed. That made perfect sense to me! Guild member Scott Schmidt took it even a step further. If it was a joint account could two people draw on it in an equitable fashion? A humorous meeting took place that evening. Bantering back and forth regarding time. But when put in a writer's life perspective what a wonderfully valid invention a time bank would be!

Most Third Story Writers Guild members cannot or do not write full time. We have pressures of work, family, life. Where to squeeze in those hours for unfettered writing? As is often said "somthing's gotta give." Too often for us its not the job or the kids or the volunteerism or the household duties, it's the writing. A time bank would indeed be wonderful. For none of the aforementioned should be neglected either.

This train of thought sparked an idea of my own. What if we cleared an evening from our calendars and spent the entire time writing? What if not just an evening but an entire night? Twelve hours of uninterrupted writing would be bliss. A write-athon. A write-in. Whatever name we put to it would suffice. We could spend it with our pen and paper or with our computer keyboard.

I've broached the subject to Guild members. Not much response yet. They may be thinking what will "give" is sleep. Too true. But what's one night if we can spend it getting our dream down on paper?
Could a few hours loss of sleep cure your "writer's block?" Let me know your thoughts, please.