Thursday, February 17, 2005

Blogger's Block

How many bloggers have temporary bouts of blogger's block, when they can't possibly think of another word to type? How long do these blocks last? Are there magical ways to restore a blogger's ability to post? Is Bloggers' Block the primary reason some sites go without updates for extended periods of time, or do the owners truly have nothing to say?

The chances are good that every Blogger has at one time or another been stricken with the malady called Blogger's Block, but for each person the duration and cure is different. Some people can't possibly imagine writing for weeks on end, while for others, the Block may last only a few minutes or hours. What's the difference?

Motivation, inspiration, determination, and resolution can make the difference between letting a Block control you, or your control over it. Professionalism can play a major role, as well, in determining how long a Blogger will allow a Block to rule whether or not he or she returns to the keyboard. Even though few bloggers are paid for their thoughts, they can still behave as a professional would in such times of mental thirst. Yet all the motivation of a deadline can't move some people to write, and inspiration may be barred from making an appearance because of the Block. Regardless of how determined a blogger may be, and no matter how resolute their drive to return; if they have a Blogger's Block, little can help motivate or inspire them to sit at the keyboard, when they will only be able to stare at a blank monitor.

Today's Block may be masking a desire to take a stroll on the beach or a walk in the park. It could be hiding the dirty dishes niggling the sink or the toilet that was promised a good cleaning last week. Tomorrow's Block might be hidden behind a secret desire to sleep in or to visit a dear friend. Yesterday's Block may have very well been the bills longing to be paid....yet lying idle on the desk, right next to your keyboard, taunting you to "do something about it!"

So, what to Bloggers do when they get a block that prevents them from writing? As variable as the bloggers themselves, there are many cures for being unable to write when you so desperately want to. My cures are:

• Dance
• Sing along with the radio
• Read other blogs
• Comment on other blogs
• Visit other online journals
• Type in random words in a search engine and see where it leads me
• Play silly online games such as Zuma or Diamond Mines
• Play not so silly games such as Battlefield 1942 or Unreal Tournament
• Dance some more
• Visit that friend whose name won't stop nagging me
• Call my mother
• Call my sons
• Send an email to everyone I have not heard from in six months
• Go to the beach or the park
• Go window shopping
• Take a drive with the top back and the windows down
• Clean out my Bookmarked websites and see how many no longer even exist
• Dance again
• Clean my computer desk and especially my computer
• Dance one last time

By this time, I am usually filled with enough motivation, inspiration, determination, and resolve to write something that may only inspire me, something that only I find humorous, or something so poignantly persuasive that I get responses about it for weeks.

posted by Unknown at 2/17/2005 05:11:00 PM