Writer's block, an owner's guide: If you had to write, you’d write

I was reminded about this when broadcaster Melvyn Bragg wrote in his newsletter from London, “as always, when we record an edition, I stumbled on the intro and had to retake it two or three times and we over-ran. Some day we should do a programme on the psychological difference about (sic) broadcasting live and recording a programme.”

I remember hearing long, long ago that, because of nervous tension, newsreaders never sneeze on air. In the years I’ve been listening since then, they never have.

If you go to a writing workshop with your notepad and pen and you’re given a writing exercise to do, you do it. No problem.

If you sit at your own computer like you’re possibly doing right now, intending to write something, you can be there six hours later without producing a word.

What’s the difference? It’s something inside you. Okay, the circumstances are different too, but that’s just circumstances. It’s something inside you. Partly, I’m sure, it’s Parkinson’s Law (but that’s only a name, a label, it doesn’t explain anything).

So let’s bring the workshop and the computer together. If I asked you to write a passage and email it to me in five minutes from now, we both know you could do it.

In fact, why don’t we prove that right now. You don’t need to give me your real name. Why don’t you scroll down to the Comments box and type your first response to this article. Your very first response, with the embarrassing immature and smutty and clumsily expressed thoughts, will be fine; a polished response will be fine too; or anything else that is on your mind right now will also be fine, unless you want to sell me dirty pictures or men’s medications. The rule is that you must click Post within five minutes from the time you read these words.

Clicking Post does not post your comment on the web site. It just sends it to me privately. I will not publish any of the responses to this article unless the writer says it’s ok. Also, I repeat, you’re not required to give your real name.

Your five minutes already started.

(by the way, if you have a Typekey identity, make sure you are not signed in, and just enter a false name instead; but if you don’t know what I’m talking about, be glad and don’t worry about it).

Published on May 7, 2005 at 10:33 am. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/if-you-had-to-write-youd-write.html

2 Comments

As promised, I’m keeping the responses to this item private. Just remember NOT to be signed in with your Typekey name, if you have one.

Comment by McJung — May 8, 2005 @ 5:06 pm
But they did inspire this follow-up post.

Comment by McJung — May 17, 2005 @ 11:25 am