A not so imaginary dialogue between my inner gremlin and inner coach.
Aaagh. Stuck. Left it too long. Left it too long from introducing the series and getting started with it. Now can’t think where to start.
~ Try something else. Look at the feedback. Read the comments. You’ll get an idea there.
Oh dear, lots of positive feedback. Lots of interest in what the theme might offer. Lots of expectations. Aagh. What was I thinking of? Mind’s gone blank. Can’t think of anything to write about essential writing. What was I thinking of? Whoever said themes were a good idea anyway. Can’t live up to the expectations. Stuck.
~ Break the task down. Keep it simple. Find the way in. What does the first post in a series look like?
Needs to make sense, offer a way in. Drat. The theme’s essential writing. Needs to matter too. Needs to count. Needs to be something significant. Yikes. Needs to be something significant. Can’t think of anything significant.
~ Don’t start at the beginning then. You know what you say to other people: don’t stare at the blank page, don’t slave over the first chapter, don’t struggle with the introduction, jump straight in and come back to the beginning later.
Find a way to jump in. Aagh. Supposed to be a writing coach. Supposed to know how to do this. Supposed to know how to get unstuck. Aagh. Stuck in supposed to.
~ Just write. Keep it simple. Just write.
Wish I hadn’t introduced a new theme. Possibility was fun. Don’t know where to go now I’m talking essential. Can’t think of anything essential to say.
~ How about sharing the resources you’ve been saving? That video interview on blogging maybe?
Doesn’t make sense out of context.
~ Oh all right then, how about that research paper on how people are writing more concisely now they’re blogging and tweeting..?
Haven’t read it yet, remember?
~ Oh, all right then. How about a links post?
Too easy. It’s like cheating. Writing that matters, remember?
~ A selection of quotes then?
That’s even more like cheating and you know it. It’s supposed to be…
~ Yes, I get you. Supposed to mean something. Supposed to introduce two months worth of interesting and thought provoking posts. Supposed to be original. Supposed to be an entry point. Supposed to be significant. No wonder you’re stuck. You work it out. I’m off to make a cup of tea.”
Yes, sometimes writing to a theme is hard work 
So, what’s been happening? I’ve been away up north for a few days. It was fabulous. 
Lots of food for thought. How about you?
This is strangely reminiscent…
Naw, if my inner muse won’t cooperate, I just tie him up and leave him out back for the duration while I peck away at the keyboard. When I hear him begging for mercy (or donuts), I’ll let him back in.
But, uh, getting away works, too. (rolls eyes)
.-= Robert Hruzek´s last blog ..The Power of Light =-.
Hi Joanna,
The thing about essentials is that they are elusive to start with. My blog started out with a whole jumble of different stuff and the essentials only started to emerge in time.
I take encouragement from this fact for two reasons:
1. The essences and essentials were there all the time – even when things seemed vague, tangental or jumbled
and
2. You can write whatever you like and you’ll get to the essentials in the end!
Looking forward to this theme on CW continuing!
All the best for now,
Paul
.-= Paul´s last blog ..Career Advice Hits the Road in the UK =-.
Sometimes it helps to just start writing. Ideas may come out randomly and some may not fit, but once you have something down on paper it’s easier to assemble them into a coherent structure.
.-= Brad Shorr´s last blog ..How To Get More Blog Subscribers =-.
Joanna, even as I winced with familiarity I had a bit of a giggle with you (not at you). I think I can speak for writers everywhere when I say, “Oh gosh can we ever relate!” It can be difficult to write to a theme. I also find for me that when I make what I’m writing important (ah or essential) the pressure increases the block. Like you I walk away, clear my head and give myself permission to write anything even unrelated. On another note, I’m so glad you had a fabulous long weekend.
Time away is essential to well being. 
.-= Karen Swim´s last blog ..Rip the Veil or Close the Blinds? =-.
I can definitely relate. My business/niche blog is worlds away from my personal blog. On my person blog, I can get a 900 word post out in less than an hour total, but my business blog usually has me stumped for days.
.-= Carla´s last blog ..Stealing your words – post and comment scrapping =-.
Just being you will allow these essentials to emerge regardless of starting at the beginning, middle or the end.
Ironically my last post was about writers block.
.-= David ´s last blog ..Writer’s Block =-.
Yep, been there!!
.-= –Deb´s last blog ..Gold Star Cop Out =-.
I was hungry… thanks for the food for thought. Oh, how I recognized this process! Great approach Joanna. So you’re stuck at a wall. What colour is the wall? Pick up some chalk. What colour is the chalk? What graffiti will you write? This is your starting “block”.
.-= Davina´s last blog ..6. Island Thyme Reflections =-.
I spent most of the last hour having this conversation in my head over a blog-post, so I came over here for some help and inspiration. What I got was (a) a good laugh, (b) company in the dry place and … well that’s more than enough. I’m back to work now!
Thanks, Joanna.
.-= Meredith´s last blog ..Two-Pronged Approach =-.
Joanna,
I love this dialogue. It’s so familiar. As Karen said, the more important/essential something is supposed to be, the harder it seems to come.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog ..Freelance Rates Survey =-.
What a familiar internal chat that is, Joanna. And so it made me laugh out loud!
More please.
We know that it happens all the time, but for you to be so up front about it is fantastic and I look forward to all the responses.
I find that taking my eye off the ball helps sometimes. Going out for a walk on the hills with the subject matter in the back of my mind, enjoying the air, the scenery, having to concentrate on where I place my feet.
Or sometimes writing everything and anything about what I want to say. No order to it; chaotic. Then moving away from that with a fresh sheet of paper and recalling just the essence.
At the monent I’m trying to find my more colourful, bold voice and squeezing the words out is harder than ever. I’m trusting that once I’ve unearthed the little blighter it’ll go back to the normal level of difficulty!
Wonderful photograph.
x
.-= Jan Scott´s last blog ..gamelan =-.
Oh my, does this ever sound familiar! I’m nearing the end of a theme myself, but at times I feel so “stuck.”
It always helps me to keep asking (and answering), “What if…?”
.-= Karen Chaffee´s last blog ..Relationships and Sand =-.
I am so smiling… what a wonderful access point. The inner dialogue which is not exclusive to writing or writers, and then: “I’ve been away up north for a few days. It was fabulous.”
Have you been in my artist’s head? Because isn’t that the way of it? Bigness and then, oh man how do I actually present the bigness?
I posted about wet paint yesterday. Simple wet paint. A whole huge theme of a gigantic piece to talk about and I talk about wet paint…
How’s that for kicking off a huge piece? HAH.
Except it’s a perspective seen from inside of the piece, not at a distance. A point of view steeped in essence. And these kinds of “blocks” we go through….are just a red flag waving at us to find those bits that cannot be taken away from the whole. They urge us to let go of the big, and look at it’s parts…the ones that create its bigness. Even if it means going away from them so we can come back…the hero’s journey, my friend. It’s process at its most truly essential. And it sometimes has a mind of its own.
Brava…this is going to be fun.
Robert I normally try and banish the gremlin… maybe I should banish the muse too until she’s ready to play (or hungry for donuts). Thanks for the reminder!
Paul you’re right – if we chase after essentials it’s like grabbing the soap in the bath – sure to stay out of reach. All we can really do is keep writing, and exploring as we go. I think that takes some courage – a bit of leaping in the dark – but once you realise it’s an easier way to get past the blocks of fear too. Thanks for the encouragement and reminder to keep exploring
Brad that’s it, and one of the reasons I wrote this… once I started thinking about writing anything, even just how to construct this dialogue, new possibilities started to open up and my courage returned. Plus I kind of hoped I’d get some ideas and feedback from all of you… which I have. Thank heavens for the readers of our blogs.
Karen it’s okay, I was hoping to make you giggle… me too
The permission slip is so important isn’t it? Not just in writing… one of the reasons for the weekend away…
Carla sounds like there’s too much pressure to make the words count… it’s a fine balance isn’t it? Will need to look for ways to explore and get round this as I work through the theme (or else stay stuck!)
David thank you for that affirmation – just the words I needed to hear.
–Deb I had a feeling I wasn’t alone in this one
Davina glad to provide a bit of snack on your way
Hmm, I love the idea of turning the block and making it into a starting block. I’ve moved it from in front of me and put it down by my feet. I’m going to push off it to get on my way. Thank you!
Meredith glad it helped – it helped me to talk through the dry place too. Hope you enjoyed the work
Lillie I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there – it’s the “supposed to” that really gets in the way, not the bit about it mattering. It’s the external shoulds and musts we allow to creep in, rather than the quiet truth telling…. which is the stuff that really matters
Jan once you’ve found that voice there’ll be no stopping you. I walk a lot to clear my head too – often the words form in my head as I walk. I don’t do enough of the writing it all out – unless I’m really stuck when getting all the gunk out is ridiculously liberating
Karen that’s a great coaching question… such a gentle way to open up possibilities and ditch the supposed tos. Thanks
Wow Jan such a lot in your comment… I see what you mean about the connections – it’s the thrill of that big piece you’ve been waiting for / that’s been waiting for you… and declaring it, setting it out for us alll to see… then – where to start? And how to stop the fear from creeping in. Not enough to match that bigness, that vision, that intention.
I love the idea of the wet paint being the place to start, and I guess in part that’s what I was doing here too – mixing the paints, splashing around a bit, letting you see inside the bits where I’ve no idea either…
The hero’s journey indeed.
The courage to write, paint, share, create… to live that belief that art is a living, breathing thing, and thank goodness for that
Well, the hero has to go anyway even to the dark bits to slay the proverbial dragons or demons or even a blocked bit of “too much” or how am I going to do this to capture the trophy, or accomplish the challenge? It’s kind of like that when we are after a particular tasty piece of art or writing. And I think, for anyone who is creative, it is absolutely essential to know that work does not always happen in a straight and neatly organized line. As if there is a nicely lit neon sign “queue here”. Sometimes we have to just toss ourselves into process and be honest about it. Yes, splash around a bit. Mix the paints. Or the words. Just be. In process. Even the grumbly bits of it. That is if you’re trying to capture essence.
There’s a term, wabi sabi…it’s a kind of praise of imperfections… so I think, if we are ever to deal with essences, and particularly capturing them…we make friends with that. In fact, I think it is in accepting and wrestling with them the grumbly bits, our creative muscles become stronger. More sure.
Jan you’re right, and I think you capture that process so well on your blog… It’s why so many of us can learn from and with you, regardless of whether or not we label ourselves ‘artists’. I’ve just started exploring wabi sabi – got a book through the post on just that yesterday, following a reference on Seeded Earth (Bo Mackison – one of the readers here) – wabi sabi rainbow photo & words here
Must have been some cup of tea.
Entertaining post, Joanna!
I write for a few different blogs so when I’m blocked on one, I usually just jump over to a draft that’s waiting for me on one of the other blogs. It works pretty well for me. I also write articles and other things so I do a lot of skipping around and it works for me.
I also sometimes hop over and splash into the social media sites for a while, grab something to eat or drink, or step out for some fresh air and sunshine. And recently I’ve turned to yoga–it’s totally changed my life, and has my Muse stuck to me like glue! LOL
*smiles*
Michele
Thank you Joanna.
Bo’s work is gorgeous. Love that photo and the words.
Let me know how you like the wabi sabi book. It’s one of my favorite concepts.
Cheers.
Dear Joanna,
Bravo! For your authenticity, and your self-expression in the face of an absence of self-expression. For me, both of these are aspects of “essential writing.”
Another aspect of “essential writing” is that which is necessary. Following is a brief introduction to a book it’s always been necessary for me to read (from earlier this year on my blog). And following, a link to my review of the book.
Cheers and thanks again.
Solid gold creativity
“Today I bought a book I’ve planned to read for years, Primo Levi’s If This Is A Man. I’ve had a morbid attraction to the subject of the Holocaust since as a child I opened my family’s Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia to a picture I didn’t understand: a small mound made of naked, emaciated corpses.
The fact that Levi ended his life in the stairwell of his Turin apartment in 1987, over 40 years after he was freed from the concentration camp, always made me feel I had a duty to him and his story in particular. And the other day, I knew it was time to get the book when I read Saul Bellow’s comment on the back cover of Levi’s The Periodic Table, ‘We are always looking for the book it is necessary to read next.’”
http://solidgoldcreativity.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/until-the-sea-closed-over-us/
.-= Solid gold creativity´s last blog ..Not a climate change denier, just a rat squatting in my cage =-.
Oh Joanna, I totally GET this! In fact, I’ve a couple of pages in my current notebook from a day recently that sound eerily familiar…
Essentials, huh? It seems to me that writers block is one of those things you’ve got to experience on your journey to being a better writer. You could call it essential, no? Bravo for showing us that riveting conversation happening in your head… you took the step I’ve been too chicken to take.
.-= Karen Wallace´s last blog ..Add beauty to your life =-.
Phew, I was glad to hear that you’ve been away for trip, Joanna. Talking about the inner gremlin, I always have conversation with him (Or her) all the time, especially when I having writing block… Sometimes, we’re argued and have a brutal “mind fighting” as well! Lol
I hesitate to call myself a writer because I struggle so with each post, taking many rewrites. But I have something to say.
It helps a lot to prepare numerous posts in txt files and to prepost and predate several of them. I have also convinced myself that a solid reposting procedure produces an all-round better blog and perhaps avoids closing shop. A blog consisting of 300 good articles could be a blog of 200 very good articles.
I reposted 3 times in 90 weekly posts and think it’s a pretty good idea.
A solid reposting procedure can produce an all-round better blog.
Takes some pressure off producing a stream of complete articles satisfying to writer and reader.
Posts can improve with new increased content and more current information and ideas.
General improvement in wording, style, and images the second time around.
Good important articles need not sink into the basement.
Over-all the blog just gets better with more content and without excessive posts.
Fends off writers block.
Posts could conceivably become the chapters of a book.
I’ve just posted a page of details on reposting articles
.
Lori thanks for making me laugh out loud
Hi Michele thanks for popping by – it’s good to see you. I do that with different things I’m working on too – I guess where this particular stuckness comes from is the feeling that I’m “supposed” to know something, or be leading the way on something even if it’s just an introduction to an exploration of the theme. It’s where I’m suppposed to have my most authentic voice… and that can be tricky at times. Not sure if that makes sense? The impact of yoga is fascinating… one to explore another time maybe!
Jan will do
solid gold thank you for the feedback on the process elements of essential writing… maybe if it’s not hurting it’s not working
I also think there’s an element of what’s necessary – I suppose one of the questions is how to we tackle those things that matter, that are necessary, without tangling ourselves up… or does the necessity actually overcome those fears, because it’s bigger than we are
Thanks for sharing the link to the book review. This bit jumped out at me – it’s something of the nature of ‘essential writing’ that I’d like to try and point to:
“the demeanour of the absolutely authentic witness: quiet, calm, sober, curious, faithful, observant.”
Hi Karen good to see you
It seems like there’s more a few of us who enjoy these kind of conversations in our head 
It did feel a little bit risky to share it… but I felt like I needed to, partly to get my words going again, and also because I was looking forward to the reactions from all of you. Which haven’t let me down 
Wilson never fear, I’ll not disappear for long without telling you all first
Mind fighting… great expression!
Grampa Ken hello and welcome. I think if you struggle and rewrite you’re most definitely a writer
I take what you mean about reposting – that certainly works if you’re creating a site with an archive of articles – and I have some sites that I’d like to work like that too. I’m not sure it works so well when you’re writing as part of a conversation… as tends to be the case here. Though the interaction is also a great way to get past the block 
Wow! You think ALL that! How do you ever get going if you have things like “it has to be significant” running through your head.
I love hearing your internal conversation, but I’m a real coward when it comes to those voices in my head. I don’t dare listen because I’d never get anything done.
.-= Bo Mackison´s last blog ..Dingmans Falls =-.
Bo you know I probably only shared the half of it – I did tell you my inner critic was mean. How do you manage not to listen to yours? I need to learn that technique!
Love this post. I am wrestling a blog post tonight. I’m in the “how much to share” vs. “how is this useful to my readers” bind. The inner critic is going nuts. This particular blog is new so I’m still getting my writing legs. I hope it will get easier with time.
J.L. good luck doing battle with the inner critic! Hope he’s not as mean as mine