To (Alternately the Block Blog)

Talk about accepting the block. I accepted it so well I didn't remember to post this. Thanks for the reminder, Julie.

As usual I'm the Smith fan. When He says how "the writing releases the block" I realized how true this is, but how it is so difficult to write something I may just end up tossing. I went through this twice already this week, while attempting to get going on my Case Study assignment. I'd find myself about a page and a half in, sit back, look at the screen, and the only thought would be "What kind of aimless rambling crap is this?" Sure, that got that "bad" writing out of my system, but I haven't yet seen the "good" writing it cleared the way for.

I did like the section in Smith on habits of avoidance, because they have a special place in my life. Has anyone here ever played Diablo 2? It's so easy to sit down at the computer, boot up the WP, stare at a blank screen for two minutes, and then go kill demons for 2 hours. The follow up advice by Smith was killer though.

"Write and be damned." This is beautiful. Just like the above, just get it out whether it's art or excrement. Easy to say, hard to do (at least for me).

"Write every time we sit down to write." This can create a "habit of facing up to it" in stead of avoidance. While I know I won't make a complete piece every time I grab a pen or keyboard I can certainly write and be damned each time. As I get used to going for it every time I have the chance, hopefully the little failures won't deter me as much.

"Stop in the middle of a sentence." What? What the hell kind of advice is this? Have any of you tried this? Do you realize how much it hurts our formula trained brains to see an unfinished sentence? Much like how we see a construction sight and project what the completed building will look like we can't not try to complete the sentence. Of course that might be the point, since if we leave it hanging on the page our brain will just keep worrying at it, like a terrier with a rat. IDK, though. It still seems as if