Friday, November 30, 2012

Say Something! (Writing about writer's block)


What do you write when you have nothing to say? When you want to write, driven to connect to a reader who will clutch your book to her chest amazed by your artistry; how you put her feelings – no! the thoughts and feelings of the whole human condition! – into such succinct truth no one else has expressed? Perhaps you are reaching too high. Perhaps your reader mid-flight will, instead, get to chapter four in your book before stuffing it in the seatback pocket in front of her – right between the vomit bag and the Skymall. Perhaps she will take a break from your highfaluting artistry, retrieving the catalogue to check the price of the self-flushing litter box she saw advertised during her connecting flight and in her haste to exit the plane, leave your book behind. Maybe she will walk to baggage claim with that “I-know-I’m-forgetting-something-but-what?” feeling, only to shrug her shoulders while ducking into the Cinnabon. Well, fine. You don’t need her. Maybe she’s not even your target demographic. Maybe you prefer your readers cat-less.

But, you still don’t have anything to say. Nothing to be left behind beside the puke bag.

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