Grinding Through Block

I am not a great believer in the conceit known as writer's block, but I know depression or general "feeling low" when it bites. They aren't always or necessarily the same thing. Oh how I wish for the days in my teens and twenties when getting dumped was like filling a nuclear reactor with raw power. I lived off misery and produced "wonderful" poetry.

Then there's the argument that sometimes you have emptied the well and it needs refilling. I could say I believe that, and that's often exactly how it feels, and sure, reading for a while often "cures the problem".

But on the other hand, sometimes just reading ONE story (or in one case an opening line) can trigger the happy genes again and the fingers start tapping the keys.

Whatever, after a relatively disappointing January, I was determined to start February with a bang, and not just write plenty, but write a few good ones. Result was Days One and Two were torture. I felt so "empty" and couldn't even manage to think of prompts for Boot Camp.

I've noticed a sort of post-excitement depression that hits January, or the beginning of any month. The very nature of Boot Camp to push for more work and to look at results as "proof" that what we do is right, neans that various periods are ramped up, we achieve targets and then, sag and sigh thinking we could never match the effort again.

I used to run marathons (15 or so) and there's a syndrome occurs where runners having run more than 26 Miles, see the finish banner, relax, and promptly collapse. I think we get that in BC, and I suffer it personally. I need goals to make myself keep fighting but having just achieved one, I promptly ease off and fall over!



Anyway, I managed the prompts today (five minutes after Lexie Fox had posted some on my behalf) and then managed a story, which I had to drag out, but at least it exists!



Got Bridport Forms in the post today. Here' a tip. Enter at least one story early. Something like 90% of stories arrive in the last week. That's 3,600 stories. Why get lost in the crowd?






Alex