At the moment I cannot lie. I am EXTREMELY exhausted. It is only 7:40PM on Sunday but I have just returned from a wedding that was in Denver, Iowa this weekend. It was a lot of fun, but has taken much of my energy and as I sit here (at Capanna) pondering what inspires me to write: I got it! Experiences, events, situations, conversations and the like. For example: the wedding. An event that I lived through, enjoyed, and has also provided me with four different stories! When it is a memorable event and/or place its easy to write about because I can return to that time in my mind and pull memories, thoughts, and ideas from it. A majority of the time when I am writing I think back to past events and will reference them in my writing, depending of course if I am writing for a class or pleasure. Unfortunately, I have not written for pleasure in quite some time because for the last four years I have been dedicated to my education here at Iowa, a.k.a I feel as thought I don’t have the time. If I am writing it is because it is an assignment I have received and put all my writing power into that. I used to really enjoy writing for pleasure and as I have stated in previous blogs, writing is a stress reliever that I need to get back into.
In terms of the deadly writer’s block…
Luckily for me I don’t experience this too often but when I do I literally take a break. I walk away from the computer, get a coffee or glass of water, and let my eyes rest because chances are I have been staring at the screen trying for a long time, trying too hard and I get no where. I have discovered that in a lot of my essays and assignments when I step back from my work and then return to it later I notice mistakes or things that could be improved. If you get stuck in your writing, take a minute to breathe and reward yourself with a little nap or snack. I have learned that it’s those little things during homework time that can make all the difference and although that is extremely cheesy try my advice because you may find out that it helps!
