I think I am finally experiencing Writer’s Block. I know, I know, many people believe it does not exist. Some people don’t believe in Santa Claus either; I refuse to debate some things. Normally I suffer from Writer’s Blank. I look at the page and it remains blank because that is my state of mind. Sometimes I suffer from Write It Down And Cross It Out (or Type It In And Backspace Over It, as the case may be). This, however, I can only describe as Writer’s Block.
I have a post that I wrote last week but did not finish. I thought I would type in what I had and finish it for today’s post. Then I looked at the lead and saw that it mentioned my Christmas vacation. Did that make it dated? Should I change the lead? Go with something entirely different or just change the wording a little to indicate that the post is about an adventure I had last month?
These are not difficult questions. All I had to do was pick an option and start typing. I could even put off the decision, type in what I had, and change it later. But somewhere in the back of my mind there lurked another lead. A good lead, one that made the post… different. Better. But the words would not come forward.
Well why does that matter? I argued with myself. Just type in anything, I said. You’ll find the words you want. If not right away, you can save the draft and finish it later or tomorrow. Just BEGIN!
And I could not.
I felt literally paralyzed (this is not a misuse of the word “literally,” I really FELT AS IF I was literally paralyzed. I did not say I WAS literally paralyzed) (so don’t get didactic on me). I had a couple of other ideas for blog posts I could have gone with. I thought, just write one of those for now. I put my fingers on the keyboard. Nothing happened. I couldn’t write ANYTHING!
Except, it seems, this. We’ll call it a Middle-aged Musings Monday and hit publish. Hope to see you on Tuesday.
Mohawk Valley Girl 
I would say been there, didn’t do that, but it would not be literally true, ny neighbor to the east.
A literally excellent reply. And now that I think about it, I could have said I was literarily paralyzed. But I feel I could not have said I was literally literarily paralyzed.
Figuratively, my hat’s off to you for your reply. And literally because I’m inside, hatless. Ha. Let’s stop the madness, MVG.
ISN’T THAT THE WORST??? There should be a shot or a pill you can take to ward off writer’s block.
Maybe a shot of whiskey? That would be very Jack Kerouac of me, wouldn’t it? Or is that even who I mean? I’m just relieved when other writers admit they suffer too.