Beating Down Writer’s Block
This post (and the one’s to follow) may look a little different than the ones that currently reside on this platform. Consider this one as something of an “authors’s note,” an update to my readers (like, all ten of you).
Lately, I have really, really missed writing. While I find myself with more time than ever to sit down and get some stuff on paper (or online), I’ve been bogged down with a very common condition known as “writer’s block.” As much as I love writing about my current reads, I’m starting to get a bit bored of books being the primary thing that I’ve talked about on here since college. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I love books any less, I’ve just been looking to do something more. I’ve been yearning to write a few pieces in the same fun and casual style I would use to write articles for HerCampus. I miss sitting with our HerCampus (HC) team and brainstorming ideas, bouncing them off of each other, and pooling our shared findings as to what’s trending and relevant to talk about. One of the things I enjoyed so thoroughly about my time within the HC organization was the feeling that my articles were reaching people, helping them feel seen and understood, or simply just helping them navigate the ups and downs of college. These pieces were less self-centered, less about my own life. Ideally, I would like to incorporate more pieces that have a bit more of a journalistic spin unlike the stream of consciousness-style blog post, that feels slightly more like a diary entry. Something with a bit more structure and direction — a more defined and determined purpose, if you will.
At the same time, I long to write a book. While this book has been a goal of mine for many, many years, it has absolutely never taken any sort of shape. In my mind, theres a vague cloud of sorts full of loose ideas, plot-lines, and characters label with a simple "Book????". This is largely due to the fact that I can’t make up my mind in regard to what kind of book I want to write. I have read my fair share of books, from varying authors, in varying styles. I tend to be pretty accepting of trying new genres these days which makes it that much harder to narrow down which one I want to emulate. Should I write a memoir? I’m arguably too young to share my life experiences — there’s still far too much for me to learn before I embark on the journey of an account of my own life stories and experiences. On the flip side, should I write a fiction novel? What genre should it be? Don’t expect a horror story or a romance novel from me. But what does that leave? Something witty? Profound? Mysterious? God-forbid I write a period-piece, I would have to do far more research into history than I could ever hope to. I simply don’t know. I can’t make up my mind. Not to mention, it feels like almost everything I can think of has already been written! But arguably, that’s a conversation for another time.
So while we wait for some clever novel idea to hit me, I’m going to attempt to incorporate some different articles, in different styles on to this page. Regardless of what I choose to write about, I want to make it a mission of mine to share writing on here more often. So stay tuned for some new and exciting pieces!