As far as New Year Resolutions go, my promise to increase my output on this blog has had a sketchy start. The promise of more frequent blog updates was made without the knowledge that I was about to endure ‘Writer’s Block’, evidence of which is that my first post in three weeks is about this very subject as opposed to a more creative theme.
Like previous occasions when I have struggled to write, I have no definitive explanation for the lack of ideas for writing. It’s not that my reading habits have changed, but the simple act of being inspired to write on a particular subject has abandoned me. This is an affliction that affects all writers at different points in their lives, and much like the ‘yips’ that a cricket batsman will have when he can’t score a run, the reasons are as blank as the mind trying to write.
The loss of ‘creative spark’, ‘muse’ of whatever other nicknames the writer’s mind has can be a frustrating experience, where are the words and ideas that were abundant not long ago? Avoiding the writer’s block can be difficult, especially when causes are unknown, so what can be done? As well as reading, watching and listening extensively to stimulate imagination, I’ve decided that keeping a diary may be the key. By recording daily entries no matter how inane, tedious and pointless they may be, it at least forces the act of writing. Much like the ‘literary treadmill’ that I referred to last year, perhaps it is vital to keep the writing muscles active, even if the results are nothing to, figuratively, write home about.
Still, that’s enough rambling about my lack of creative inspiration. In lieu of any creative sparks firing up my imagination I plan to turn the focus, in my next blog entry, on the digitization of library collections in Europe and North America. Digital resources are vital in my studies, but I’ll be exploring the major projects for digitisation of library collections, and how these may change the role and importance of libraries in the future.
Until then, all the best.
Thomas
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I have trouble with verbal incontinence in my university writing. I have a bad habit of over-emphasizing an argument and repeating the same point over and over again, though I'm getting better at avoiding this.
Thanks for the comment Fran. There will be a 'Latest News' update 02/02, a member's update email 03/02, and a new blog post 04/02. We're starting to increase activity again, and the store is extremely close.
ps - if it's ok I'll pop along to Meadows Writers group asap, unfortunately this week I was in Glasgow so couldn't make it.
I tend to suffer from the opposite problem and it can be equally troublesome. When I first started writing fiction four years ago, after a lifetime of the constraint of staff appraisals, feasibility studies and funding proposals, I went mad with adjectives, adverbs, oxymorons, tautologies and general verbal incontinence. Pure self indulgence! I like to think I have improved - at least I am aware of the problem and am taking regular medicine for it in the form of criticism from my writing group and a few brutal friends.
Ever thought of recording your dreams? At least as much of them as you can remember upon waking and then expand later as your scribbles remind you of more. You might be surprised at how much you find to write.
Fran
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