Writer's block is slowing me down

By Staff
Scot Beard
I enjoy writing, and it is often a very therapeutic exercise for me.
When I am stressed, I sit at my computer and escape to a world of fantasy by writing a short story. It allows me to escape the world I am in and in the process frees my mind from the problems that have created the stress.
When I am upset, I try to write about a funny observation I have made in recent weeks. It lightens my mood and brings a smile to my face.
When I am bored, I try writing poetry. This exercise frustrates me, so I try not to get bored.
Writing is an exercise I enjoy and one I have always seemed to have a knack for doing. This was extremely helpful in school when most of my classmates would panic about the idea of having to write a paper.
They would freak out while I would procrastinate.
Writing has always come easy to me. I know what I want to say, so I sit at the computer and punch out my message.
One of the things I really like about this job is I have the opportunity to write a weekly column. The best thing about it is I have the freedom to write about whatever I want.
I could take the easy road and write about sports every week, but I think those columns are best left on the sports page. I have tried to challenge myself by writing about other subjects, and so far I have written about my family, my past and current events.
This week has not been so easy.
Several subjects have come up that would have been great to write about – the failed bailout plan that led to the biggest one-day dip in Dow Jones history, the presidential elections or the foot that was mistakenly identified as human when it was actually a bear foot.
I could have written about these subjects and I could have written about them from several different angles.
Unfortunately, I was struck by writer's block. I wanted to write about these events but I could not find the right words or the best way to phrase my thoughts on these subjects. I could not figure out how to approach them.
Should I take a humorous line or a serious track? Should I try to calm fears or raise concern?
I did not know how to approach these subjects, which was frustrating.
So, I decided to write about writer's block and the column began to flow. I now know the best way to have covered those subjects and I feel so much better now.
Writing is therapeutic, unless you get writer's block.