The birds chirp outside the window. I’m contemplating what to write next. May is only one-third over, but the list of topics on my mind seems to be far too short for that. Once I determine a topic and get started, the writing flows; it’s another classic case of writer’s block.
My writer’s block stems from a high level of self-criticism. I get about fifty words into my writing and I quickly re-read what I’ve written. Disgust washes over me; why would anyone waste their time reading that thought? Not only is it poorly structured, ill-written and unclear, it’s also incomplete! I don’t even know what I’m trying to say here. I might as well erase the whole thing and start over.
Of course, if I push through to the hundred word mark, the whole thing starts to gain a sense of direction and purpose. Maybe someone really would read this, after all. Maybe there’s an intelligent thought here, buried beneath the lumbering verbiage.
The difficulty, as always, is getting beyond that point of resistance.
Seth Godin once pointed out that you can’t get just the good parts. You’ve got to go through the tough parts to get to the finish. The first sentence in today’s writing is completely cliche and irrelevant to the topic. It’s not pretty, but it’s a start. Is fear keeping you from starting? Don’t let your fear control you; take the leap. Thanks for reading!