Rachel talks about finding moments in the day to write, even if it’s one sentence, a character’s name, or the first item on a list. After all, this is Writer’s Boot Camp, so writing should always be at the center of attention. And it has been lately, but I didn’t think about keeping a notebook with me to write down my thoughts whenever they struck me. So silly to not think of this when I teach high school English where fodder is everywhere. I am to keep pen and paper with me at all times. Check.
Assignment: Detox
She asks a few questions about my life:
- Are there a lot of annoying things happening in your life?
- Are you frustrated about the writing process or something else?
Now I am supposed to write about it.
I am frustrated that I feel as if I come up with some good ideas for writing, but I can’t seem to get it detailed on paper or computer. On Tuesday, we got out of school a little early so I went home and I wrote for two hours. Seems awesome. It was, but I started three pieces of writing because I got to a point in each where I hit a wall and I wasn’t sure where to take the story. It was great to get the ideas out of my head and on to the computer screen, but it was beyond frustrating to see that I struggled to develop all three. I also looked at a piece I did two years ago for the start of this camp (I didn’t cry when she died) and tried to add to that one with little success.
How can I be a writer when the ideas don’t flow? How do I practice writing when I can’t seem to develop ideas? It is one thing to hit this problem sometimes, but I feel as if I hit it every time I start writing. Right now, I have no problem completing this assignment. It seems I have plenty to say on the topic of writer’s block. But how can I be a writer when I struggle to add detail to anything I write?
How’s it going for you? Do you feel as if you struggle with writer’s block all the time?
Overcoming My Ink Monster 