Saturday, December 11, 2010

Writer's Block...




I'm still having a hard time getting back into writing. Lots of things are going on, but I just don't feel inspired. I've fallen out of practice. I've had some of you say that I should just force myself to write anyway. That's easier said than done...

It seems that the more time I allow to slip by, the harder it is to start up again. Thus I'm forcing myself to write this awful post.

So how should I get going again?

Some have asked their readers what they would like to know about the particular blog author. I've always thought that my blog should be for me, sorting out who I am and analyze what I'm hiding from - it started out that way, and it's stayed that way through the years.

But I need some inspiration. Any suggestions?

10 comments:

naturgesetz said...

As a newcomer t this blog, I'm not really qualified to say. But why not try writing briefly about something that you spent a lot of time doing/thinking about since your previous post?

Public Loneliness said...

Tell us about your Christmas preparations (as in do you do the decorating or do you let your wife do it?) or as the Moho Blog says, your favorite Christmas memory. You don't have to put a gay spin on it. Hope you're having a good Christmas season!
Hugs,Miguel

Bror said...

Have you been on any awesome hikes lately?

Anonymous said...

When I am perplexed about what I feel or just can't put my feelings into words, I sometimes start a list.

I just jot down my ideas without trying to edit them and when I run out of ideas I put the list away until another idea hits me.

After a while I notice patterns in my thinking and come up with categories for the ideas and the categories help me to brainstorm even more ideas.

For instance, after I came out at work, one of my coworkers challenged me to explain why I was coming out.

He didn't have a clue why I was bothering to tell him something he obviously thought was private and none of his or anyone else's business.

I found myself very frustrated because in my gut I knew I had very good reasons for coming out but I couldn't verbalize much less explain those reasons to this or any coworker.

So I started a list.

First just a few thoughts came to mind and I felt quite dissatisfied because I knew in my gut that there was much more to my coming out at work then just what I had written down. However, after being unable to think of anything else for a while, I put down the list and went off and did something else.

Then a few minutes later I came up with another idea and jotted that idea down.

I kept doing that for several hours.

Then I could see the patterns forming and came up with three categories all my ideas could be lumped under.

The categories were:
1) What it felt like to be in the closet at work
2) What it feels like to be out at work
3) And how being in the closet or out at work impacted me in other areas of my life

These three categories spurred on a slew of new ideas.

Two or three days after starting the list I had no trouble explaining why I came out at work or any other area of my life to anyone willing to ask.

So my suggestion to you is to start a list and see what happens.

Regards,
Philip

Neal said...

At least you're trying. :)

I like the list idea. Try something positive, like "count your many blessings" list out all the things you've been blessed with, then pick one and blog about it.

Anonymous said...

Beck,

If you make a list, it helps to start with an open ended question.

For instance, your blog often addresses being gay and married, here is a question I haved repeatedly asked myself in that regard:

Where do I go from here?

And here are lists I have created to help me figure out what to do next:

What has helped me progress so
far?
What are some of the roadblocks
I face now?
What can I do to address those
roadblocks?

Also, at some point I realized progress could be measured by how much more/less I felt at peace. Being able to measure progress was extremely helpful in knowing what worked and didn't work for me.

Regards,
Philip

Ned said...

Dear Beck,

Please don't worry about your problem with writing. Remember it is a natural process. If you don't write, the need to write will slowly build up inside you and will release itself in a perfectly natural way without any help from you.

However this discredited approach, sometimes known as HOTFAC (Hands Off The Little Writing Factory) is often associated in later life with BWP (Benign Writer's Atrophy) which awakens writers in the night with the urgent desire to write, however they are only able to release a few words or maybe a phrase or two.

So instead may I suggest you explore this link.

May the fruits and nuts of your writing be a source of satisfaction, release and enjoyment this day and always.

((((( hug )))))

.

Adon said...

I thinks what happens is...in the beginning we feel an urgency to get our feelings out. Then at some point we feel that need satisfied. I sometimes think that bloggers work too hard at coming up with something profound or engaging. Personally, I enjoy the blogs that just tell stories of life experiences whether it is a reflexion on their sexuality or not. I've learned so much over the last few months just reading peoples histories or even their daily experiences. I'm kind of an introvert without a lot of people around me on a daily basis. Connecting here on your blog and the many others that I follow gives me a view of someone elses lives. It helps me to relate to my own and gives me food for thought. If you don't feel inspired at any given moment to write a lengthy post, just stop by and say HI.....Adon

AKgayN.LDS said...

What Neal said! Or just do what I do and go to the gym.

Beck said...

Thank you for all your suggestions. I sincerely appreciate them very much.

I am feeling myself moving beyond this temporary blockage and hope to be able to take some ideas of lists and themes and get them articulated in a way that will be helpful to my moving on from this current funk. And hopefully they can be beneficial and helpful to you as well.