Writer's Block? Excuses, Excuses

Sitting on my bed, pen in mouth and paper in hand, I sometimes hit a lull. Ten minutes stretches to thirty, with my eyes sometimes straying to the game on television or fingers clicking rabidly for Facebook updates. Already deep in a pile of distraction, I can't think of anything to write, so I put everything away and set that demonic alarm clark for 5 a.m., where the springs of inspiration can be found. Is this writer's block, or sheer laziness? Our good friend Paul Vincent brought up a simple yet compelling point the other day when he dismissed writer's block as nothing more than an excuse for bad, apathetic writers who only pump out work for the pleasure of getting compliments from others, not for their own satisfaction. True? In a way, definitely. I think writer's block is a legitimate gripe, especially when rest is elusive and life's duties are aplenty, but that is more a sign of external factors rearing their ugly heads than the creative well running dry. I always have thoughts and ideas racing through my mind 24/7, and I write them down as soon as I think of them because I know they'll disappear if I let myself go on through the day or, God forbid, fall asleep! This only adds to my distraction and disorder, preventing me from getting to the work I need to, as I have countless poems, stories, and essays tearing through my poor brain. This isn't writer's block, because I have the juices flowing in abundance, but I'm still not writing for these various reasons.

So what I'm trying to say is that society is the ultimate writer's block, not the gates of our own mind, which are wide open more often than we like to think in the mainstream world. I think a lot of lazy writers use it as an excuse, a break, one more item on society's laundrylist of lies and substitutes, a quintessential reflection of our overinflated, overmedicated nation that prescribes medication for something like restless leg syndrome. Even if the creative spigot runs dry, there is always something on our minds, right? I don't buy the excuse that you can't write anything. Simplicity is the ultimate tool, in my opinion. Turn off all distractions, and immerse yourself in your thoughts and in your passions. You know what you love to do and what you are knowledgable about, so write about it. It doesn't have to be beautiful expression or artistic gold, but the fact that you are producing something and working at it is better than filling your brain with a barrage of television images or checking your Facebook every 5 minutes. I know, I'm guilty too, and my mind is so distracted in disarray that it's a wonder I can even come up with anything. But I really think the ultimate way to end the block of the mind is to merely break it with simplicity. And, if all else fails, just turn off the news and get pissed off about something. It's not that hard :). My final point is that we all have an innate desire, whether expressed or not, to receive critical acclaim and praise for our stuff. We may claim to be non-conformist rebels to the powers at be and just be writing for our own pleasure and satisfaction, or, as our brilliant old crustball friend Zulfikar Ghose stressed, because "we are bored," none of us would pursue writing as a career and as a living if we didn't want some kind of feedback or reimbursement from it. The best writers are usually the ones who look at the world with a different perspective, seeing things that others see as normal routine or "just the way things are" as out of the ordinary or disturbing. Unfortunately, this also causes them to kill themselves, but it's what makes them great! They are not worried about commercial success, and their writing is able to flourish and grow without the constraints of a pushy editor or publishing house that wants you to create something that the masses will soak up, like that Twilight bullshit. Those are two extremes: writing purely for other people's entertainment, or purely for yourself. Finding that balance and recognizing that you can write for yourself while still speaking to others is the ultimate goal, and the most difficult. The constant brouhaha of society's noise and demands sometimes cause to write things that we may feel other people will like, ignoring our passions and our own voice, and realizing that voice is present and bringing it back is the key to killing the affliction known as writer's block. We write for ourselves, and if it is good, other's will follow. So if Jared and I are sitting in a cofee shop someday, poor, smelly, and homeless, clutching our laptops and the remains of our wallets, have sympathy for us. We may have avoided writer's block, and have nothing but the pride of our own individuality to show for it. Happy Patriot's Day bitches, let Zenmaster Gorney leave you all with a message of peace and fulfillment...


When one finds tranquility within self, one's expression flows like a streaming river