Saturday 22 June 2013

A day in the life of a Writer-in-Waiting

The beginning:

Imagine, its the weekend after a long zombie-like week at work. You have to, simply have to write this weekend.
Writer-in-waiting that you are, you are therefore, hard at work, this weekend, dreaming up your masterpiece that only you seem to be waiting for while the rest of the world seems to be blissfully happy to move on in tune with the latest breaking news.

But you ignore the world. You sit at your desk and and even ignore the most pressing chores staring you in the face; 
a) a sink full of dirty dishes
b) a floor that needs mopping
c) a child that needs a haircut
d) a social call that you cannot avoid

And then, just then, when you drown out everything except the noises in your own aching head, writers' block chooses precisely that unerring moment to strike.

The climax, captured in a limerick:

Sitting by the window, 
watching the world go by,
I sip my cup of tea and idly swat a fly;
I read a new book; I hear a sad song,
But time stands still, the day stretches long,
O its the writer's block again, sigh, sigh, sigh!


And then you turn to Dr.Google. Who throws up an infographic even on this topic:


















The end:

And then you go back to washing the dishes. After all, didn't Agatha Christie once famously say "The best time to plan a book is while you are washing the dishes."

4 comments:

  1. I feel for you Debleena. I went through years and years of the same.
    And in between I'd write a short story or create a poem. Good luck.
    When you can't write because of the children or the dishes, that's when the ideas will strike you. Make a note of them - then when you have the time writer's block won't stop you.

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  2. Thanks so much Kalpana. Your words really motivated me. I guess this is a painful journey that we need to go through as we evolve and try to find our voice..

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  3. writer's block so humourously and factually presented :) I dont know if I should have but I did smile the way u presented the rough times of all writers .. Thank fully I am not one !! I am more of reader who goes through the same block as well :)

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  4. Thanks so much mysay for your comment.

    Yes,you were meant to smile and of course feel the pain:) But readers going through the same block..that's a very interesting point, and it gives me an idea for another limerick:)

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