When Writing Think Small?! What are you NUTS?!? Part 2 of 9

Ready for a short walk? Grab your pen and paper, we’re going bird-spotting. We’re looking for a kiwi, so we’ll need to board a plane and while we’re sitting flying we can write a bit about our adventures. So what do we need to see the kiwi? Bird sighting skills of course, and basic bird anatomy knowledge. Patience, a lot of patience, as the kiwi is endangered, and well, we possibly won’t see many of them.

Writing can be like this, when we’re not busy, with the countless other things in our lives, family, friends, finances, the list can go on, like on a plane, we could probably write a lot in one day, and if we’re really in luck edit it for content and style. If not, it’s like trying to find an endangered species. It seems that as writers we’ll beat around the bush for countless hours.

Of course we could look for something both easier and closer to home, say a robin, a very pretty bird I might add, and frankly everyone sees at least a few a year, and if you’re really lucky might see one everyday. I wonder given this analogy that we as writers will look for the hardest way to write, in a panicked state with deadlines looming. It’s not that we work better or worse, I’d probably say that when it comes to editing, we love to be one like the kiwi endangered.

Of all my writing friends, I can say that l like editing the most, none of them can seem to do something I can, kill off my characters, my loving little sweethearts. I do with ease, or I’ll take three and make one. They can’t seem to understand how i do this. I can add and subtract, but if I get stuck… that they can understand. I worry, and fret.

In fact I become a kiwi to the computer. That is the time when I remind myself of other things, a small report I wanted to write, a letter that needs to be typed up. A small piece of volunteer work that should get done. I get back to the computer chair and type, slowly, oh so slowly. My normal gate of about 20 words a minute crawls to five… not a pretty sight.

I keep typing and speaking, and getting the words out. Just type. For example Lauren, one of my favorite writers in terms of blogs, simply because she can do poems like I never could, check out her blog, today I pray, seems to be so wonderfully relaxed. I take the time to look over as many blogs as I can, because they all have something to say. Carrie, Andrew, BJ Anderson’s, Elle Scott, Travis Taylor’s, Al’s, Damaria’s blogs, a whole community out there! It allows to me to see other are typing away. Alissa from books I liked loved or hated, gives me wonderful ideas about reading. This encourages me to keep typing. So do the Inkers, the mentor group I am in ( I mustn’t forget Brittany or Jennifer– see the right links for those wonderful blogs).

Writing, then becomes a bit less of a worry and I simply go with the flow. I find my kiwis and robins with ease, and life goes back to normal. Just don’t ask me to edit on the days when writing isn’t so great. That might get me lost. But I always know to think small.

I type for at least 15 minutes a day, doesn’t matter in what but my one rule is keep writing, no, it doesn’t need to be good just 15 minutes. when I’m down that’s my goal when it’s easy, well I’ll be soaring with the birds!

My Question for you today is this: What helps you break out of writer’s block? Whose blogs do you love to go to when you need a fresh dose of ideas, or laughs, or whatever?