Writing #5

It is on a drab and dreary day, such as today, where one is inspired to stay indoors and actually work on the book that they have been focusing so hard on writing. Of course, distractions are also inevitable and, so, the vicious cycle goes. You sit down, ready to write, determined to write and, yet, something hinders you each and every time. A game has caught your fancy, or perhaps you really should start organizing your inbox (you've put it off for so long now), you get hungry, the dog wants your attention, or maybe you're giving yourself a time limit for that favorite television show that comes on in just an hour.

So, what do you do when everything seems to get in the way of when you want to write? Well, sometimes you just can't escape it. Sometimes, it could be your own way of telling yourself, hey, maybe I just need a break from writing and, let's face it, you deserve a break. While it is good to shell out those 1,000+ or so words a day (whatever goal you have set for yourself each day), it is also equally as good to take a break every now and then from the daily routine.

When it comes to writing, I think that imagination plays a key part, whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Imagination, the capability to visualize many possibilities and such, is something that can be tested. There is the strain of every day life that can bring along a road block that we are all familiar with: "Writer's Block".

So, the next time you are determined to hunker down on that rainy day, seriously ready to commit yourself to a day of hard-core writing, if your mind starts to wander away from your work to other things, maybe it is (just a little) okay to take a break, just for one day. Besides, who's to say that the spark of genius won't strike while doing another task? Perhaps the Muses will humor you and take away the Writer's Block that taunts you so meticulously and you will finally be able to overcome how to write that scene or dialog after you have cleared your mind by taking time away from your story, because, don't worry, it is okay to do that every once and a while. ;)

-Tara