Musings & Thoughts for Thursday, May 30, 2024, or: Becalmed, Bothered, and Bewildered by Writer’s Block…Again

Late Morning, Thursday, May 30, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire

Madison Spring Almanac

“This must be Thursday,” said Arthur to himself, sinking low over his beer. “I never could get the hang of Thursdays.” ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Hi, there. It’s a chilly and gray-tinged late spring day here in Madison. Currently, the temperature is 57°F (14°C) under cloudy conditions. With humidity at 59% and the wind blowing from the north-northeast at 2 MPH (3 Km/H), the feels-like temperature is 64°F (18°C). The forecast for today calls for mostly cloudy skies and a high of 68°F (20°C). Tonight, the skies will be clear, and the low will be 41°F (5°C). We’re also supposed to start seeing a warming trend over the next few days as meteorological summer begins on June 1.

On Writing & Storytelling: Still Stuck on the Shoals of Writer’s Block

Yesterday was another unproductive day in my novelist’s journey. Once again, I tried to set myself up for success to write Scene Three for Reunion: Coda’s seventeenth chapter; I took my two-hour break, had lunch (albeit a smaller one than I’d have liked…I need to go to the store soon and get things I can’t buy easily online), read for a while, and even went for a walk before shutting myself in my writing room at 2:15 PM. I had a positive “can do” outlook when I sat down at my desk…and then….

Nothing.

I blanked out.

I re-read the two scenes of Chapter 17 again, taking my time and looking for a line of dialogue or visual cue to draw inspiration from. I did this twice.

Still nothing.

So…as of today, with no new words added to the manuscript, this is where I am, still stuck on the shoals of Writer’s Block:

• Chapters Completed (including the Prologue): 16
• Chapters in Progress: One, with two scenes written
• Number of Pages: 383
• Number of Words: 96,600

It’s so….frustrating.

And some people say “Writing is easy…” and “You’re not a real writer….”

Ugh.

Action This Day

As you can see, I have a challenging workday in store on this cold, gray, somber Thursday. It’s still early in the day, and if I do things right – or try to, anyway – I might succeed today where in previous days I’ve failed.

After all, if at first you don’t succeed…..