Feeling Blocked

Off late we all have been talking a lot about Writer's Block ...or in the blogosphere the better name for it would be Blogger's Block. Specially in the blog community that I am a part of, this word has been doing usual rounds recently. People seem to be catching it like flu. Honestly, I always shy away from using this word as a reason for my infrequent writing. To get into a Bloggers Block, I need to first reach the first symptom of this disease. The first symptom being a regular blogger.

But yes I do get into these blogging swings, and have always wondered the "why" of that phase and also struggled on the "How" of getting out of it. And finally the simple answer came from a chit chat session of two "no-nonsense" ladies of the squad - Corrine and Vidya. The truth stared right in my face when I read that conversation. I agree it is nothing but laziness that keeps us from writing. Yes, the slumber can come due to very many reasons, but to break the vacuum, we need to fight with the God of Slumber. 

(Do read the conversation here..its kind of fun to read) Click Here

So the conversation became a prompt for all the bloggers to write about their "tried and tested" tips around how to fight the Bloggers Block. So here are my nascently cultured pearls of wisdom:

Enjoy the Break - While you are at it..Enjoy it !! I feel the more we think about the block, the more the idea of getting back to writing gets distant and tougher. So I feel one must not think too hard or try too much. Writing should come naturally, because that is when it gets the best of you. If you do not have thoughts or opinions you particularly want to talk about ..so be it. Enjoy the silence till it lasts :)

Blog Surf - Something what always keeps me connected to blogging and the want to come back to it is reading what others bloggers have to say. I generally try not to lose touch with blog surfing and reading. Many times the muse to get back to it lies in some thoughts or posts that just connect to you and you get a feel.."Well ..this should have been my post"

Write for yourself - Do it for yourself. Many times bloggers may get into this self inflicted pressure of being the best every time. The fear for being judged for your thoughts can sometimes gets so heavy that you start rejecting all that you write thinking it doesn't make the cut for being published. While one thought is not to be so harsh on yourself the other is that sometimes writing just for your own self is also fun. I remember Corrine giving me this example once. She said that just like when a pen doesn't work we keep on writing on a rough paper till it gets the flow back...the same thing holds good for writing. And I could'nt agree more with her. So my fellow friends going through a block, do it on a rough page just for your eyes. Soon you will get the flow back.

Save a Date - This works for me. Sometime a self commitment is the biggest motivator. Like last time I had set a date for myself when I will get back on the blog. And from the time I committed to the day I had committed for, all the time in between my mental state auto corrected its lethargy, lack of ideas and inability to put the pen on paper and made me meet my commitment on schedule.

Sorry, but I cant think of a fifth tip. Actually so much has already been written about this and I trust more or less the thought that always works for all is the want to get back. If you love your writing you will always find your way back. And in the meantime, do not sulk. Fill up that time space with more reading, more contemplating and more feeling and observations.

So these were the thoughts of an amateur on the cure for a disease which I suffer a lot. For more ground realities and workable solutions please visit the Write Tribe entries on this prompt.

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