I Can't Think of a Title. By Dan Cooke

Why are words so elusive?

As writers, we are constantly faced with the challenge of actually writing, be it for pleasure, employment, or our own projects. No matter what it is we have to write for, the same I think applies to everyone from time to time. The words we want to use can be the most elusive of things.

I constantly find that when I am at work, on the commute, out with colleagues, in fact pretty much anywhere except when I have that word document open in front of me, I am an  idea machine.

It's hard to even put into words this process. My head is filled with ideas, plot points, major and minor, characters and their backstories (a big deal for me) and these same characters having conversations with each other constantly. These constant thoughts lead to the creation of new ones, to ideas for scenes that I can become super excited about and work on even more.

Oh you blank pages why must you torment us so?

Despite this, and despite the fact that lately I have decided what I want my main project to be, and as such trying to focus all my creative energy on scenes and ideas for this project, when I sit down to actually write them, my mind just goes blank. Nothing flows, and when it does, it is nowhere near as good as the stuff I had thought up earlier.

Even right now, writing these very words, the flow is difficult and feels uninspired. (the keyboard sticking constantly doesn't help my flow either, need to replace that.)

So what can we do? How can we push past this constant blockade and begin to get the words flowing freely? I wish I had an answer.

I like to collaborate with other writers and creative individuals, in fact these collaborations have lead to some really interesting projects,  and I love to seek out their input, and while this may not help with the actual writing process, it certainly allows for fresh inspiration and can get the creative juices flowing.

I wish I had more to offer you all, I wish I had inspiration and advice to give, yet I find myself in a constant place of taking and never giving this back to those who helped me out.

Oh words, why must you elude us so? Characters why must you hide? You open your mouths yet no words flow, matching as we type nothing appears.

The most daunting thing I can think of as w creative person is a blank canvas (or in our case page) some may see it as a fresh opportunity to  begin and fill it, and I commend them so. Yet I have known many a writer to stare at a blank page and cry. It is a shame we cannot just give the readers those blank pages we wept over and hope the emotions we felt will just convey themselves to them.

We can dream at least.

I'm not normally such a downer, positivity will resume next month!