I have often said, in recent years, that I do not believe in the concept of “writer’s block”. I think it is used as a fiddlefaddle excuse by the idle and the indigent, or perhaps by those who prefer swanning about and gallivanting to the Johnsonian drudgery of sitting at a keyboard and bashing the stuff out.
And while it is true, I think, that one does just have to sit there and tippy-tap until the cows come home, I am now prepared to admit that it is entirely possible to do so while filling the pages with twaddle. This is what has happened to me of late. The results of my writing routine have been such godawful piffle that you lot should think yourselves fortunate that I have declined to post any of them here.
I would like to think that I have mislaid my mojo, rather than lost it entirely. The dilemma I face is whether to go searching for it, or simply to wait for it to come crawling back, like a surly dog. Speaking of dogs, here is a dog:
Don’t worry Mr. Key, I’m sure it will come back…
In the mean time you could try applying cut-up or fold-in techniques to the alleged godawful piffle, as some authors have done in the past when they’ve ran out of sensible ideas.
You could explore some new writing processes such as the potato-mash or hamster-chew techniques…
Dave : Many thanks. I have been pondering whether to employ the “bedazzled shrike” technique.
Hang in there, Mr. Key. And remember that even your “twaddle” is better than most of what passes for “literature” out there.
Let the pulsating cranium take its time, as other volcanoes do.
I hope the “bedazzled shrike” technique does indeed get employed…