Writer's Block
There are two kinds of writer's block
that I know of.
Brain Freeze and Life's Little Interruptions.
1. Brain Freeze (Not to be confused
with the biological reaction to ice cream-by the way, which is the favorite flavor aboard Seaview?)is when suddenly you don't
know where to take the story. You're totally stumped on which direction to take.
But sometimes Brain Freeze is worse
than a fork in the road, plot wise. Sometimes I have it all worked out in my head usually in the wee hours before sleep
really envelopes me, or even later, when I wake up in the middle of the night in order to use the facilities
or raid the fridge, but when the alarm clock bashes me awake in the morning,
whatever I’d planned has vanished completely from my memory.
It could be that I’m a victim
of age, premature senility, or maybe it’s just hormones, or it could also
be that the story just doesn't want to be written. But we'll get to that later.
2. Life's Little Interruptions are
the more common blocks that I have in getting the story done. Just when I finally have a weekend or a few hours before or
after work, and I’m busy at the keyboard or dictating what’s in my mind via new software programs or the old cobweb
encrusted Dictaphone (that I finally managed to get someone to help me dig out of the garage-things are stacked so high you
can’t even get a bicycle in it, let alone a car) when suddenly a member of family needs something that only I can provide,
or the phone or doorbell rings, bringing with their ringing tones good or
bad tidings and/or time with family and friends, frustration with telemarketers
endorsing prodcuts and/or political wannabes, not to mention reminders from Walgreens to pick up my medicine, organizations
asking for donations, etc.etc.)
By the time I manage to reopen up the
laptop or turn the desktop back on, the character’s lines and the subplots I had in mind have come to a standstill,
and I can’t get back into it...so, what can I do to get back into the flow?
Close my eyes? Turn on some soothing
music? More coffee maybe? (Did you know they think it’s good for you now?)
Nahh.Those things never help me.There’s just one thing for it. I get out
the box of brownie mix and convince myself one square won’t hurt and that I’ll take the rest to work on Monday.
Then while they’re baking, I’ll go do some research on the history
of cinnamon rolls or some such thing for the Seaview Stories Cookbook.
Soothed by the warm chocolate doughy
goodness along with a cold glass of milk, I’m sated, refreshed, and start thinking what Chip or Lee might do over a
plate of the same..back on track, thinking of my favorite fellows, the Admiral too.My story may have nothing to do with brownies
or food of any kind, but I’m back on a roll..literally,as I find I don’t really have that many brownies left to
take to work on Monday.