Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Frustratingly

Welcome to our weekly gathering of quotes! If you would like to know more about why several bloggers have begun to enjoy writing up these posts…go check out Silver Threading and blame her for making it so fun!

This week I want to focus on writing through the frustrations. I don’t know about you guys, but when I get flustered and frustrated my brain likes to go on vacation. My tongue and my hands/fingers get spastic (more than usual) and the little minions in my mind are just traipsing around; dancing and cartwheeling all willy nilly.  When that happens, it doesn’t matter how long I stare at the notebook (or reading book, for that matter) I won’t be able to comprehend or write anything that makes any sense whatsoever.

Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re stopping yourself from saying them. When you have an idea, when you have sentences swimming in your head, and you don’t immediately stop to note them down then you’re stopping yourself from saying them. Those words won’t sound or feel the same when you try to recreate them later on at a more ‘convenient’ time

This has been happening to me the past few days. What’s worse is that part of the reason for my frustration is that I had a sudden epiphany and I KNOW what happens in the next big scene, but I can’t seem to get us to it. I’m a blank with a tight, tingling ache in my head and down my neck each time I try.

Imagine with me…you’re writing or composing or painting or whatever it is you do and suddenly you’re stuck. Not really creative block, per se, but definitely not moving forward with the work. Frustrated, sad, and angry you walk outside and see it…a pinata shaped like a cowboy hat with a box next to it…the box contains a couple of bats and a sign juts out. The Sign says “I can help, HIT ME!” Suddenly, in the midst of desperate whacks at the hat, your jumbled brain shifts everything back into focus. The crack in the pinata did it, you were opened up again!

Finally, sometimes you just have to move in a different direction. I’m about to have to take my own advice I suppose…Or I can listen to Dolly Parton. She’s pretty smart!

When you get frustrated, when the winds have changed, your inspiration trickles to a halt and the mind minions go on strike…imagine yourself on a boat, sitting still with contrary winds and then imagine yourself tugging on that rope..the one right there next to your dominant hand. You see what happened? The sails shifted, the contrary wind is now your friend, and you are moving once again. (Sometimes, it takes more than one tug on the rope…don’t be discouraged!)