writer's block

Many years ago, I attended a lecture by Elmore Leonard at the Detroit Working Writers/Oakland University annual conference (it was actually the Detroit Women Writers at the time). Leonard was insightful, but not particularly "warm" as he delivered his remarks. During the post-lecture Q&A, one poor unfortunate young man asked "How do you deal with writer's block?" Leonard glared at him and said "Writer's block? Writer's block? You either want to write or you don't."

While it was very uncomfortable and particularly uncomfortable for the young man who'd asked the question, I've never forgotten it because I think he really hit the nail on the head. We do either want to write or not and we really have to ask ourselves whether we want to write or whether we want "to have written." Is it the writing or is it what comes after the book has been written, is sold, is successful, and brings us some form of validation?

Writing Because I Have To

Sometimes, people ask: "when did you start writing?"

Of course, I can't remember a time when I didn't write. As soon as I could pick up a writing implement, I began to put words on a page.

The joy of writing is both intellectual and physical. Intellectually, I can express my thoughts, my feelings, my opinions, my self. Physically, I can write or type, listen to the click of the keyboard or the scritch of the pencil or pen.

Another joy is in knowing that I am starting with nothing but my self. I don't need an appointment with someone else (quite the opposite!), I don't need a complicated gadget or a particular place. My need is very simple externally. All the complexity is internal.