Blank Pages

 I don't know what is going on lately with my writing. I suppose I should say my lack of writing.

I sit down with my journal or at the computer to write and nothing comes.  Even if I had a spark of inspiration at some point and have a plan to expand on that idea - it fizzles out as quickly as it came. 

It has now come to a point where I procrastinate trying to journal or write.  Many days, I avoid it altogether Anything to put off that moment of staring at a blank page and finding nothing to fill it.

It's frustrating. And extremely discouraging. 

I'm Not Writing

Seriously... I'm not writing.

Nothing.

My blog posts have gone down hill.  My journal sits blank for days at a time.  And my "creative" writing journal?  Ha!!

credit - publicdomainpictures.net

I'm trying.  Really.  I'm making something that resembles an effort. I open up a fresh blog post and look at it.  I open my journal...and am lucky to get a line or two before I just feel blank.  Or my focus wanders off in another direction.

 I don't know what's wrong with me.  My writing just feels - off.

Now, to be fair to myself - I've been quite off since the time change took place.  Or maybe turning another year older that weekend hit me harder than I realize.  But I've been tired pretty early in the evenings, but still find it difficult to drag myself out of bed in the early mornings.

And I've been feeling a bit sick off and on since late last week.  Especially over this past weekend when I was fighting off a yucky cold.

But, c'mon.

And yes - I know it's normal to go through ups and downs when it comes to writing.  But this time it's not even a lack of inspiration or ideas.  I've got those.  Plenty of them! I just can't seem to make them go anywhere.

I just keep waiting for the flood gates to open and the words to come pouring out!
 

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Sometimes, There's Cake

This is a very short fictional piece I wrote based off a daily writing prompt from Sarah Selecky.  The assignment was two parts over two days.  First, make a list of 10 unrelated sentences.  Second, each sentence became the first sentence of a scene.  Then you write for 10 minutes. Here's what I came up with:

Sometimes, there's cake.

A rich chocolate.  A moist carrot with tangy cream cheese frosting.  Or maybe something decadent: a red velvet or a black forest cake.

Sadly, today is not one of those days.

Cupcakes.  I'm so tired of cupcakes.  Tiny little pre-portioned nuggets of cake.  When what I really want today is a big slice of overindulgence.

I make a face at the cupcakes as I pick one up for a closer look.  White cake.  Vanilla frosting.  With Sprinkles.  Sprinkles?  Are we a bunch of eight-year-olds gathered for a birthday party?

With that image in mind, I stick a finger into the mound of fluffy frosting and swipe it into my mouth.  The sugar hits my taste buds and clings there.  Immediately I begin to concede my former opinion.  Cupcakes might not be so bad after all.

I peel back the paper and take a bite. Cupcakes are technically cakes.  Just smaller.  Mini cakes.  But cakes all the same.  Another bite melts the last of my resolve, and my grumpiness.  

The cupcakes win.  For today. Tomorrow, there might be cake.

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

But I Keep Writing

Some days I ache to write.  But the words don't come.

My fingers itch to type out the words. I can feel my mind reaching... working... trying.

But it's just. not. there.

Sometimes that day turns into days.  And sometimes those days become a week. Or two.

I know there's a thought... an idea in there somewhere.  I just can't pull it from the dark depths of my brain and put it onto the screen.

I search "blog post ideas" and "blog post topics".  And the drafts folder.  It doesn't help. The ideas just seem to add to the confusion in my brain. 

But I keep writing.  Or trying to.  Because I must.

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Slow Start

Between the holiday falling in the middle of the week, family visiting, the offspring and the Man of the House being home on break, and then just trying to get back in the swing of "normal" life - my blogging life is off to a slow start in 2014.

Slooooow, slow.

Like molasses in January slow.  Moses slow.  Tortoise slow.

As in, today is the 6th of the month and this is the first post I have gotten around to writing slow.

It also hasn't helped thatI seemed to have used up all my creativity during the month of December and now feel like I'm coming up empty for ideas.

Or that the one or two times I sat down to write the laptop was being a complete brat! In fact, when if I ever get to hit "post" on this - I will have spent more time waiting for the darn thing to start back up than actually writing.  Talk about frustrating!

Please bear with me.  I have plans for the new year.  Projects to work on and write about. Two new Bible studies to start, which should provide some inspiration.  And I am relying on the family to amuse and entertain me in ways I feel obligated to share with all of you.

Assuming the silly computer ever decides to let me complete any posts...