So I had my first writer’s block on the blog last weekend.

Writing is a real bliss versus torture sort of thing for me.  When things are going well it feels like flying on a warm breeze, with cardinals and bluebirds, over fields of (hypoallergenic) flowers.  When it’s not going well…WELL.  There are few things that can adequately describe the feeling of being blocked, and the ones that do aren’t pleasant.  It’s like when you dive too deep underwater and come up with your ears clogged, so everything around you is muted.  Or after you get your eyes dilated at the optometrist and find yourself unable to read, write, or fully function.  Or when you have the flu but haven’t eaten in days, so you’re suffering through dry heaves because there simply isn’t any food in your stomach to puke up.  (Wow, that was graphic.  Sorry.)

Each writer’s block can feel different.  This one was like things were all stuck inside: I have a ton of blog post ideas on my phone (Lord help me if that thing ever crashes), but nothing would work.  I’d start writing on a topic, get three or four sentences in, and realize I was just floundering about trying to make it work.  Around the end of the third draft I felt a little panicky, wondering if anything was going to start flowing or if I’d just keep getting stuck in the word mud all night…I believe the phrase “ack! ack!” may have burst out of me at some point.  But it turned out four was the magic number, and I finally felt the words flooding onto the screen.  Cue extremely deep sigh of relief.

It made me think, though…I’m sure at some point I’m going to hit a block that is a little more persistent and needs some tough love to break.  So, in case you live near me, please don’t be alarmed if you:

  • see me running around my house, flapping my arms and screaming at the gods
  • hear loud crashes emanating from my house (it probably won’t be anything breakable)
  • read a gibberish-filled Facebook post in an attempt to force my fingers to WAKE UP, or
  • witness the consumption of multiple CookOut milkshakes (yes, I eat my feelings, and those things are powerful good)

Just fair warning.  ‘Cause we like to be good neighbors and all…