Writer's block, an owner's guide: Inaction in action

Ernest Rutherford (who discovered the atomic nucleus) “believed with some passion that experimental work was worthless if it was not accompanied by reflection and analysis, and from his own experience he felt this could best be done at home. When research students begged him to let them work late he would always tell them firmly to go home and do some thinking.”

I’m reading Brian Cathcart’s The Fly in the Cathedral, you see, an interesting story of creativity in action. And I’m not writing my own next paper about creativity. I have it all safe inside here and I trust it to come out, after the reflection and analysis, when it’s good and ready, ready and good. Not believing in writer’s block makes me free to have “writer’s block” and be productive anyway. Try it.

No, really. Try it. I know that being “blocked” is a safely familiar place and that it’s more comfortable just to lie there blaming the block. But instead, try telling yourself “I’m a working writer who is in the reflection phase right now.” And see what happens.

“Reflection phase” is what you tell yourself, of course. You’ll allow yourself to lie to others about how well the writing is going.

Because it is.

Published on March 16, 2007 at 8:51 pm. Linking to this article? Thank you! The permanent address is http://www.todayiwrite.com/journal/inaction-in-action.html