Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Writer's Blahs

I'm not going to call it writer's block, because I don't feel blocked. I feel unmotivated.

Look, I even burned some precious writing time creating a new title banner for the blog. The font is Morgus the Magnificent, the quote "I'm nobody...who are you?" is from an Emily Dickinson poem.

You read that correctly: Emily Dickinson.

I'm just as scared as you are.

Now, how to fight the blahs?

8 comments:

Jamie Eyberg said...

I use a writer's exercise my high school English teacher called 'the hiccuping butterfly.' Essentially you write, incoherently, for a set period of time. It is fun. Just imagine a butterfly with hiccups and go. I like your new headline though. it looks good.

Katey said...

Wow go Emily Dickinson. Who'd have thought? The new banner looks rad.

As for the blahs, I know what you mean. I don't get blocked, I get blahs, like you say. I usually go and dig into one of my inspirational treasure troves. (For me: Smithsonian and National Geographic magazines, the History Channel, or movies I love-- Amadeus, A Clockwork Orange, or something else... you know. Weird but familiar.) Sometimes it lights a fire.

And sometimes I just say screw it and make another martini.

Let us know what does it for you, I'm always very interested in how people work these things out.

Jeremy D Brooks said...

Must be the weather...seems like a lot of people have wordstipation this week.

I gravitate heavily toward songs that tell stories (in most any musical genre), and I like to listen to some of the deeper or just flat-out weird ones for a kickstart.

Fox Lee said...

I once won a book of her poems. Years later, my sister had to do a project on poetry. So you never know when these things will come in useful! ; )

Rob Brooks said...

Cool banner. That's a great poem by Dickinson. She's actually got some prettymorose stuff, which I'm sure you know. Probably fits right in with a horror writer.

Cate Gardner said...

Morgus the Magnificent - who comes up with these names. LOL!

K.C. Shaw said...

I like your headline! Even if you do quote Emily Dickenson, whom I loathe.

Find a good book and read it instead of trying to write! It might just inspire you to some writing, and if not, you at least read a good book.

Anonymous said...

As a matter of fact, Ms. Dickinson is my favorite poet. The rhymes are often forced, true, but 90% of her writing is pure genius. 2 examples of why I love her...

"Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me..."

and

"I felt a funeral in my brain,
and mourners to and fro..."

and then the one that I THINK begins "Death is a dialogue between the body and the dust"