I have the funny feeling that I may be suffering from writer's block. For weeks now I haven't been able to produce any new work. I honestly don't know what on earth seems to be the problem. I read a lot of newspapers and books. I watch my fair share of TV. I surf the internet regularly. Yet somehow I don't know what's wrong. Is it that I am not cut out for writing? Do I lack inspiration or motivation? Am I too confined? I really don't know. To some people writing comes naturally. They can just sit by their PC and come up with an interesting story right off the bat. Be it fact or fiction. Not me though. I am not so fortunate. Or is it blessed? I need to take my time to put my thoughts together. I need to think about what to write. Lets face it, I'll never be John Grisham, Michael Crichton or William Shakespeare. I can only be me. One of the problems that I seem to have is that I don't travel much. My life seems to be an endless cycle of going to work and coming home, going to church on Sundays and coming home. Do I need to travel abroad in order to get the relative experience in order to further enhance my writing?
Somehow I tend to get that impression. Even right now as I am typing this, the appropriate words seem to be hard to find. I know there is a saying that 'nothing in life comes easy' and that only hard work can bring success. But try telling that to the university student who studied hard for four years, sacrificing nights of precious sleep in some instances and still failed his final year exams. Would that be of any consolation? Not that I am saying that I am going to be a failure or anything. But the sad thing is that in life nothing is ever certain. Except death. Sure I'd love to be a successful writer one day. Sure I'd love to leave my current job and do something as relaxing as writing. I love to just sit back with my thoughts flowing like a busted water main in front my PC and just start writing like there is no tomorrow focusing on a wide range of topics. Should I write about current events? Like the war taking place in the Middle East right now or the dreaded Ebola epidemic? Should I write about sports? Or the latest movies now playing in the local theatres? Everything is all out there isn't it? Its just to find the right topic that sparks my interest.
I remember as a kid in school whenever my English teacher gave us imaginative essays to write I would always eager to get it done. To me it was a great joy to write those types of essays. You can always make up something. To me it came naturally. It didn't matter the topic. Now I have to find a topic and write on it. I have to hope that people actually read it and like it. No easy task is it? I have to be careful in selecting my words and know which one to use in which context. I have to make sure that my work makes sense and that there is a good flow to it. I have to ensure that it is of sufficient length so it doesn't appear as if I have a limited vocabulary or knowledge. The problem I have right now is that I don't travel much. In addition to which, I seemed to be bogged down by my current job which seems to be like a life sentence. Now don't get me wrong, I am very much grateful for my job. Even though it may not be my dream job and I am not very fond of it. Still it pays the bills and puts food on the table. That said, it would still be wonderful to put pen to paper and come up with a brilliant story on a regular basis. It would be one which captivates the reader and brings a smile to their face.
Is that so hard for me to do? Do I need someone to help me? Do I need divine intervention? I am at a loss right now. How is it that some people who are aspiring writers just seem to have a knack for coming up with brilliant work almost like nothing and there are others who just can't seem to get it right no matter how hard they try? Is that fair? What is it that establishes a great writer from a not-so-good -writer? Frankly speaking, not even I know the answer to that question. I guess I just need to keep on trying and trying to perfect the art of writing until someday, somehow, by divine intervention or otherwise, I finally become the writer that I am striving to be. It may be in the distant future or near future, but someday, I have the feeling, I'll finally reach my true potential. Fingers crossed.
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