Friday, June 14, 2002 ( 12:52 PM )

Overcoming Writer's Block

"There is no such thing as writer's block for writers whose standards are low enough." -- William Stafford

I found that gem on the above-linked page at The Guide to Grammar and Writing.

The process of writing involves allowing words to flow through without the evil editor within taking on censoring duties. If we can allow ourselves to write bad, we can at least get the first draft down on paper.

Speaking of writing bad, I just wrote one of the worst poems to ever flow out of my pen. It was about my daughter:

Here's a few of the "better" lines:

She is a girl who acts like a cur.
She's probably sorry she was born without fur.
She likes the computer just like she loves dogs,
I don't know why she doesn't have a dog blog.

Probably better to skip the rest! ... But you get the idea. She didn't get the nickname "dog-girl" for nothing.

Now, usually when I write poetry, I take pretty much the first thing that comes to mind and don't bother editing much out... for example - my poem about food additives was total stream of consciousness and remains unedited to this day... and the reason I haven't edited it is that it was "just practice". I didn't have high standards for my work the night I wrote it, but just wanted to do my "daily writing practice". Every now and then, by luck or by probable odds, I come up with something I'm not totally ashamed to share in public.

Lately my writing has been mostly in my journal or blogs. I've been working through Artist's Way again and doing morning pages. Many days during the last two months I spent time outside writing in a plain, spiral-bound notebook, and I've managed to record so much about life as it swirls and revolves around me. I feel this period in my life is genesis for something better to come... not that this isn't good enough but that I'm learning something every day.

This last week I've revived my Coast To Coast Weblog - because the art of writing commentary is something I want to do better. Weblogs are great for learning to get words out and stress less about perfection.

As the page linked at the top of this entry states, "Go ahead and write drivel at first, as long as you write. Out of your nonsense and ramblings, however, believe that something good will come..."

That is essentially what I'm doing here today.
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