My adorable WWW guest today is Kathy Radigan of My Dishwasher's Possessed. Not only do I LOVE her blog name, I admire her amazing writing skills as well. This sweet lady knows how to pull in the laughs, but also writes many thought-provoking posts that resonate with my life. Kathy generously "shares the love" in the blogosphere by helping to promote the work of her fellow bloggers, a kindness that is deeply appreciated by those of us who are struggling to make a name for ourselves in the arena of writing.Please welcome Kathy and her possessed dishwasher to Meno Mama's site today and leave her some comment love after reading her funny post! Thanks!
TWENTY WAYS TO DEAL WITH WRITER'S BLOCK
Ever since I decided to go back to blogging on a regular basis, I’ve been plagued by a massive, dare I say epic, case of writer’s block.
For the last week, I’ve wracked my brain for a topic to write about.
Each time I sit down at my desk and look at my empty screen.
I went over past blog posts. I spent hours on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest trying to find an idea that would be worthy of an essay. And, just to be clear, all the hours reading social media sites was only for research. I did not enjoy doing any of these things. (I sense your doubt.)
No ideas were coming to me.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Finally at the end of my rope, I came up with twenty ways to get over writer’s block:
- Moan, groan and complain that you have nothing left to write about. Use a very dramatic voice for more effect. If you can conjure up some tears, it will totally add to the “poor me” effect.
- Sit down and try to write again. Start and throw out 10 essays.
- Ask all your writing friends for ideas on how to get over this annoying block. Love the ideas about unplugging from the computer and walking away from writing. Hate the ideas about having to just sit down and write because if there is one thing you don’t want to do to get over your block, it’s write.
- Remind yourself that your friends are talented writers, feel intimidated, quit writing, take up underwater basket weaving.
- Spend some time thinking about whether or not there really is something called underwater basket weaving or was it just something your high school choir director would tell you would be your major in college because clearly you would never be good enough for anything else.
- Go into kitchen where family is eating a late lunch and beg husband for an idea.
- Get into argument with husband when he tells you that the only way through your writer’s block is to sit down and write. If you feel up to it, throw back in his face all you have done to help him over the twenty years you have been married.
- Plead with all three of your children for an idea, any idea.
- Dismiss the eleven-year-old’s suggestion of writing about princesses and the eight-year-old’s idea of writing about his deep fear of animals. Not because they are not good ideas, but because you have already written about them
- Decide that you have exhausted everything in your life to write about and that you are a complete failure as a writer. You might want to throw in a few more minutes of deep self pity here, but that’s only a suggestion.
- Get another cup of coffee.
- Look around for a snack that is only 2 points with Weight Watchers because you blew 5 points on the chocolate that you swore would end your writer’s block. Sadly it did not.
- Start to get not-so-secretly annoyed by 14-year-old son, who has clearly become too much like his father when he laughingly suggests writing about the “Harlem Shake.”
- Now that husband is laughing along with son, go ahead and give the man a very dirty look. Make note of the fact that he gives son secret hand sign to let the poor child know he better quit teasing his mother because husband knows his wife and he knows that any minute she is going to eat her firstborn.
- Go into your office, which is really just a small corner of the bedroom, and look at the blank computer screen. Again.
- Change the radio station from the soft pop station to the one devoted to songs of the 70s. Maybe listening to the same songs that you did as a child will spark a memory.
- Listen to a song from Jim Stafford and realize that the song is about growing and smoking pot. Start wondering if your conservative parents knew what this song was about and if they did why did they let you listen to it when you were just a little girl?
- Start thinking maybe you don’t know your parents as well as you think you do.
.
- Make mental note to mention this fact the next time they question your parenting skills because you let your youngest child watch Friends with you and your 14 year old.
- When all of that fails to work, write an essay about the ways that you deal with writer’s block.
Kathy Radigan is a writer, blogger, social media addict, mom to three, wife to one and owner of a possessed appliance. She posts a weekly essay each Sunday on her blog, My dishwasher's possessed! and has had her writing featured on BlogHer, Mamapedia, The Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop and other publications. She is a contributing author in Sunshine After the Storm: a survival guide for the grieving mother and The HerStories Project: Women Explore the Joy, Pain and Power of Female Friendship. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Google +
Marcia thank you so much for letting me be wacky with you today!! I"m such a fan of your writing and site it's really an honor to be here!! Lots of love!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE having you here today!! Thank you for being my guest!
DeleteLove it!! I've been there and this is so true!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! It's such a pain when the ideas just won't come! :)
DeleteOh my gosh, I laughed so much at this. And yeah, why doesn't chocolate work? It seems like it would. When I use the suggestion "just write" I end up with three pages of the F word.
ReplyDeleteGood to know other writers go through this! Very funny, Kathy!
Chocolate really should work!! Next time I get stuck I will try writing three pages of the F word, at least it will entertain me!! Lol!
DeleteEnjoyed - a nice summary of how we try to get our mysterious brains to work for us, not against us.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy! I really loved your list, I should print it and refer to it often. I think that I am like a dog that circles around a few times before finally collapsing in a heap. That's me trying to get myself in the chair to write... I love it, but it's a struggle sometimes!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the fun read today :)
Ceil
Thanks so much Ceil! When the words are not coming I am almost tempted to actually clean in order to stall the process, and that's when I know i'm really in trouble! Lol!
DeleteGenius! I would add "Complain that every topic possible has been well-and-truly covered. And that there literally is nothing left to write about. Then throw your computer in the trash." :)
ReplyDeleteThere really are days when I wan't to just throw the darn computer in the trash, you are so right!!! Thanks so much!
DeleteI tend to ignore it and hope it disappears. But sometimes it takes a really really long time to go away. other times, not so long. Obviously you found something that works!
ReplyDeleteI like the avoidance technique too!! Lol! Thanks so much!
DeleteThanks John. It does feel as if our brains are working against us some days, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, and yes!
ReplyDeleteI also try drinking, swearing, cussing out my inner editor, and being dumb enough to think that taking a walk helps. On a rare occasion it does. Most of the time, I go right back to my laptop with nothing and then end up wanting to dropkick my laptop over the balcony railing.
Yes, I really feel the same way!!! I do think I'm going to try a bit more swearing the next time though! Lol!
DeleteGreat post! I deal with "writer's block" more time than I would like to admit! I take up painting, and working out, and watching tv and anything but writing!!
ReplyDeleteI know! When I have a block the last thing I want to do is write, and I mean the last thing!! Funny though it is really the only way through it for me!! Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI want to write a post every day but life gets in the way, and it is so annoying at times also annoying is when I sit to write and nothing comes and I just sit and look at the computer screen
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, I can't stand it when the computer screen just looks back at me with nothing brilliant on it! How dare it do that too me! Lol! :)
DeleteWell, that certainly was a great way to get over writers block! Just compose a post about it. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI think we all go through the block at times and want to slam our heads against the wall.
Thanks so much Phil, desperate times requires desperate measures!! Lol!
DeleteI am SO GLAD I came over here and read this!!! OHMYGOSH you are HI-LAR-IOUS!!!!!! This is just so freaking funny I am crying laughing over here in the wee hours of the morning!!! I could quote so much of this as BRILLIANT-
ReplyDeleteMy favorite? UNDER WATER BASKET WEAVING!!! Ohmygosh- you are so so good at this- just go with it girl. You GOT THIS!!
And make sure you praise hubs for saving your child from being savagely attacked and eaten by his mother. At least he did THAT!! ;)
Love this post. BIG. MAD. LOVE.
I was very happy my husband saved my son from being eaten by me too!! Lol! Thanks so much!
DeleteDamn blank screen. Why doesn't ever just fill itself up with brilliance and let writers take the credit?
ReplyDeleteThe blank screen is not always our best friend, conquering it by getting past it isn't easy but this is a cute way to do it... I love so many of them, I have done a few of these...
ReplyDeleteI think back to some of our 70's songs and whoa... I really don't think our parents knew what the words were... haha...
Launna I am pretty sure they had no idea because knowing my parents they never would have let me listen to the things I did!! Lol! Thanks so much!
DeleteI recognize many items on that list, and I suspect I'm not alone. Love the way you harass your family for ideas, any then immediately rubbish them - I do that too.
ReplyDeleteFunny post.
lol at the song lyrics realization! I've long since come to the conclusion that our parents let us listen to such songs because they knew we were clueless. ;)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!!! :)
DeleteWhat a fun post, Kathy is hilarious! Must check out her blog as well!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog at the blog hop. Now following, would love if you could check out my blog as well :)
Tamara I know, it just sits there, mocking me!! Lol! Thanks ! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm a real pro at begging ideas and then saying no. I"m expecting a tell all book from one of my kids any day now! Lol! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! :)
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ReplyDeleteAseado commercial foodservice dishwashers, Aseado pass through, undercounter, potwashers, rack conveyors and glasswashers are manufactured in Europe to the highest specifications. Designed specifically to suit the Australian market. Models are Watermark approved.
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