When The Words Won’t Come

/ Ann Coleman

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but there are times when I just hate blogging.  Now don’t get me wrong, I usually love working on my blog.  I get to write down my thoughts and ideas, figure out a way to post a relevant photo or two, edit the post, edit it again, and finally, hit that magic “publish” button.  After that, I can count on a few kind souls to hit the “like” button and maybe also leave an encouraging comment on either my Facebook page or the blog page.  It’s great feeling to know that someone has actually read and appreciated what I’ve written, and trust me, that kind of validation doesn’t come often from traditional publishing venues.

The problem is my self-imposed schedule of publishing a new post every fourth day.  I know this doesn’t matter to anyone else, but when I started blogging I knew I had to have some sort of schedule to keep me on track  (I learned this from years of free-lance writing from home.  A writer who doesn’t have a strict writing schedule is often a writer who isn’t writing much.)  Usually my schedule works just fine, and I only miss when I’m sick or the fourth day falls on a holiday, as it did yesterday.  But sometimes the fourth day dawns and I realize I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to write about this time.  It’s not long before I begin to panic, thinking that I have, finally, completely run out of ideas and that I will never, ever write anything that anyone else could possibly want to read again.  I begin to believe that I simply don’t have what it takes to keep a blog going for the long term.

IMG_0383What I have learned to do when that panic hits is to sit my ample butt down at the computer, pull up a blank Word document and begin writing anyway.  It takes a while, with lots of false starts, plenty of deletions and lots of time spent staring at the computer screen, trying to hone in on a single idea that can be developed into a respectable blog post.  It’s hard, but I have found that if I keep trying, eventually I begin to understand what what I want to write and how I should write it, and I realize that maybe I can do this after all.  After a bit more work, I usually come up with a post I am satisfied with, and my former feelings of despair and failure are replaced with a small sense of accomplishment.

When I was young, I assumed that all successful writers had tons of great ideas whirling around in their heads, and all they had to do was sit down and write them out.  Now I suspect that success at writing isn’t so different from success in most other areas in life:  the willingness to work hard, day after day, even when you honestly believe you don’t have what it takes to get through the task in front of you.  It’s turning a deaf ear to that inner voice that tells you that you can’t do this.  It’s slowly learning to believe in yourself, even when it seems as if no one else does.

There are lots of reasons why I am glad I started this blog, from reconnecting with old friends, to finding the encouragement and support of the on-line blogging community, to simply rediscovering the joy of writing when everything finally comes together the  way I want it to.  But for me, (someone who has always been a bit too quick to quit when the going got tough)  the biggest reward has been seeing just how important it is not to give up, to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and to realize just how much I can accomplish as long as I am willing to keep on trying.

15 thoughts on “When The Words Won’t Come”

  1. I am impressed with your blogging schedule. Wish I was that organised. At the moment I have plenty of ideas but finding the time to write is not easy. Maybe I should set a day each week and stick to it. I love your writing style. You write from the heart.

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    • Thank you Maureen! And as for my schedule, remember that I’m not working full time (and I’m not helping run a farm, as you are!), so it is easier for me to find the time to do it. And thanks for the compliment on my writing; I think the same about your writing! Your blog is very, very good!

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  2. I think we all have those days, weeks, where the words just won’t come or the topics aren’t inspiring enough and its a struggle to write. The best thing to do is as you’ve done…take out some paper and just write. At some point something will present itself. The. There are those tri Ed you have so many thoughts but not enough time. If only balance could find its way inside sometimes..:) just keep on keeping on.

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    • Thanks, George! Sometimes I can’t wait for the fourth day, because I have an idea I really want to write about, and other times I just draw a blank. I think most writers struggle with this, and the only thing to do is plow forward!

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  4. When I started blogging it was to write too, and I promised myself every day or you’d lose your audience I heard. Knowing I’d never be that creative or prolific, I’ve happily discovered that I love photography! It not only allowed me to post every day (with a few whoops I forgot), but also to create some poetry out of the photos. While many ‘real’ photographers might poo poo my phone photos, it has given me a greater appreciation to ‘stop and smell/look at the flowers’. Just as writing makes one slow down and think about things in a different light–so does photography. The whole blogging thing, right down to making ‘friends’ has been such a delightful and fulfulling experience! Keep up the great work, whatever your pace!!

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    • Thanks! And I love the photos you post, and the way you often write poetry to go with them! I also heard that bloggers are supposed to post every day, but honestly, that’s a little to often for me. So far, my schedule works pretty well, with only a few “what am I going to write about this time?” moments of panic. Overall, blogging has been a wonderful experience for me, too! Take care…

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  5. Another great post, Ann! I was thinking the exact same thing myself this past week. Even though I just started my blog two months ago, I’ve gotten so busy at work I feel as if I don’t have time to write or have anything exciting to write about. I even considered just deleting it. Thanks for reminding me to hang in there.

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    • Oh, Kim, you definitely need to hang in there! Your blog is very good..that’s why I followed it. It’s okay if you don’t have time to post as often as you like, but don’t give up on it! You have too many readers who would be very disappointed. And thanks for always being so supportive, it means a lot to me!

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  6. I stopped blogging for about 6 months because I was having such a hard time writing. With a Westie, I had plenty to write about, I just couldn’t get find a way to tell the story the way I felt it needed to be told. One day I saw a poster that read, “Make something today even if it sucks.” That struck a chord with me. I decided that even if the story wasn’t perfect or exactly how I imagined, I was going to write it & put it out there. So, that was a really lengthy way of saying – I totally understand. Brevity is, apparently, a lost art for me. 🙂

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  7. I know exactly what you mean. There was a time when, if the words weren’t coming exactly as I thought they should, I just quit writing for the day, thinking that I needed to wait until I was “more inspired.” One thing this blog has taught me is just to write anyway, even when what I’m putting down is cringe-worthy. If I keep at it long enough, and edit thoroughly, I can still come up with something at least close to what I want to say eventually. And it’s good to know I’m not the only one! (Just as you’re not the only one who has a hard time with brevity, as you can see from the length of this reply! Ha!)

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  8. Hilarious! I know where your coming from.
    Determination and perseverance the key.
    I have also nominated you for the Liebster Award.
    You can check out my blog: Bajiequ5.com for more info.

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