Disenchanted with my Blog

So I am having a difficult time writing new posts. I am disenchanted. I started blogging with such zeal. Now, after four years, I feel stagnant and a bit tired of it all. About a year ago, I spent up to 12 hours a day working on the blog, commenting, doing blog hops, working with sponsors, etc. Back then, I got up to 30 comments with each post. I was on top of the blogging world. Except I was bitterly unhappy in MY world, my children made comments about mom never being off of the computer, my husband knew that in between cooking and cleaning I wouldn't be available to anything but the blog.

Then I got my head together and my priorities in order. I started spending lots of time with other people. I wasn't rolling in angst. Sure, there are worse days than other, but by and large I am able to manage my psyche pretty well. I quit responding to 50 blogs a day. I no longer participate in blog hops. Instead of writing posts about how difficult life can be, I write recipes and observations. And I've lost readers, comments are down, I have no sponsors.

At some point I had to face the fact that blogging simply is not going to pay the bills. God bless those who have been able to turn it into a career, but just like any form of media blogging is competitive and the people with the money like other bloggers more than me. So then if blogging isn't going to be my job it is a hobby and it should be fun, enjoyable, something I look forward to doing.

But lately it isn't. I realize I haven't posted for days and I don't have a problem with it mostly because it feels so "blah." I would like to get my blogging mojo back; I think I maintain a good space. So help me, my blogging friends. What do you do when you want to call it quits? How do you get the spark back? How do you banish the disenchantment and start with new vigor?

How Do You Deal with Writer's Block?

So yesterday I was on Twitter and one of my contacts was suffering with a huge case of writer's block. I told her that they way I deal with it is just to sit down and write anything, as long as you are writing. That's been my strategy for as long as I can remember.

And then today came. I woke up and my brain, which is usually brimming over with blog ideas, is sluggish and dry. I have writer's block, which seems somehow like some evil karma coming back to slap me in the face. So I am doing what I told my Tweep to do and writing. Anything.

When my brain freezes up like this it's like one of those natural dams. Things have been flowing along quite nicely then all of the sudden silt and dross and decaying leaves block up everything (because it usually is the silt and dross in my life that clogs me up). The pressure of the flow builds up, but though it yearns to break free, there is nothing that can break the dam. Until one day, a huge swell comes through and the ideas flow again. You never know when that swell will happen, so, like any writer, you fret and continue to claw away, begging for any spark of inspiration.

I went to several different writing prompt sites today, looking for that spark. A few prompts were, quite frankly, ridiculous, and a few informed me that it was free writing day. How's that for a slap in the face? If I could write freely, would I be looking for a prompt?

So I took my own advice, and here's the result. I can't say that it freed me in any way, but at least I've gotten some words out and the page is no longer blank.

What do you do when you have writer's block? Is there a process or a piece of advice you follow? Do you have a muse, a fail safe? Millions of writers would love to know.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Living the Surreal Life

I've been talking a lot with Tim lately about how surreal it feels to me to be content. To not constantly be in a state of self analysis and depression. The interesting thing is that I had become so used to being in this state that feeling "normal" is anything but.

I know I haven't talked about this much, but one day I just woke up and "POOF" I felt better. My mind was quiet. I looked around at my life and I was okay with it. My laid back hippie vibe suddenly returned. And I have no idea why or what happened - well, except for years of therapy and trying to get my psyche to cooperate - but there it was.

I won't tell you that every day is a bowl full of cherries. I still have my moments, still have self doubt, but it just sort of goes away. Dissipates away into the wind.

So then I think about the great writers throughout history, and how the majority of the real legends were total headcases. How their angst and illness fed their writing - I understand! I have to tell you that since I've been happier I've suffered for deep writing material. I guess I'll have to be shallow for a while as I'm enjoying my newly found bliss.

The return of my Muse

Last night I was up until around 3 am writing a flurry of words in my journal. I'm not much of a journaling person, but words and phrases and sentences kept bombarding my thoughts so much so that I had to write them down. It seems that my writing muse has returned with a vengeance. I can only attribute her return to one thing - I opened up a book and started reading.

source

I was so out of balance that I hadn't even opened a book since before Christmas. Now I realize that reading not only transports me to new places but also ambushes me with new ideas. It seems that no matter what the book, from Chick Lit to Proust, Winnie the Pooh to the Little Prince I am left with something to ponder, something that sticks with me, seemingly forever. And I don't even have to Like the book (although I gave up the idea that I hac to finish books that I didn't like a long time ago), they still fill me to the brim.

And now I am bursting at the seams.

It's no wonder we all long to put words to paper. What an amazing legacy to leave behind! I had not realized until this week how often an idea from some long ago read novel creeps into my thoughts, and again, even form books that I dreaded reading (The Red Badge of Courage pops to mind - fine book, but for me was like bamboo under the nails torture). Yes, I want to leave something like this behind.

source

So now I am in a full fledged book orgy. Reading everything I can get my hands on - 600 page thrillers getting read in 3 days, meatier tomes causing me to stop an reflect and dog ear pages that I want to return to later on. So tell me, as I'm not up on what has been recently published, what should I read? I'll read a little bit of everything (except for scary, gratuitous violence). Give me some suggestions and a reason to pay off the fine on my library card!