How do you write when you can’t write? What do you do when you show up, sit down, prepared to create brilliant work only to discover your muse didn’t get the memo? Lately, my mind has been churning, spewing thought fragments, disjointed ideas, and vague impressions that refuse to coalesce into anything coherent. Words and sentences float just beyond my reach.

I don’t ascribe to writer’s block, and what I am experiencing doesn’t resemble what those writers describe. The issue presents as an out-of-focus photo, a slightly off frequency radio transmission, or waking from a dream you almost remember. My normal tricks aren’t helping. But I won’t let this temporary fugue stop me. I have resorted to devising new tactics and alternate approaches.

I hired a stenographer. She sits, mouse quiet in the corner, pressing keys, recording the conversation without judgment or censure. There is no right or wrong, no condemnation for poor grammar, incomplete sentences, or incoherent babbling. When prompted, she reads the transcript verbatim. I listen and notice odd connections, unforeseen themes, and random relationships. And I suspect something important lurking in the mist.

How do you through tough situations?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer