Writer’s block: mythical malady

My involvement with writers’ groups and writers has led me to a rather inescapable conclusion: we are terribly creative when it comes to talking — or even writing — about why we don’t write. I made a simple list of (100) New Year’s resolutions, which, naturally, kept me from writing. Resolution No. 3 basically was a promise to myself to write on a regular basis, to finish Novel No. 1, “Chasing The Devil,” and Novel No. 2, “Gone.”

So here I am on the 9th day of the new year, and I’ve spent loads of time designing this handsome blog. But not much time writing.

So here’s my promise and firm commitment for Jackson’s Journal: I will not blog a single time about why I don’t blog, why I haven’t finished a novel, why I struggle to keep the seat of my pants applied to the seat of my chair. (Samuel Clemens coined the seat of pants/seat of chair phrase. Seemed to work for him).

You see, there’s no such thing as writer’s block. We could get into a deep philosophical discussion about this, but then I’d have to go to sleep on account of deep philosophical discussions typically bore me. So far, blog No. 1 of Jackson’s Journal hasn’t been blocked by anything other than my incredible capacity to waste time, procrastinate and pine for a new season of Fantasy Baseball. (Almost mentioned “why I don’t write,” but none of that, remember?)

I realize that my daily foray into the vineyard of words at the Columbia Daily Tribune is a bit different from writing fiction or a non-fiction novel, although many readers will accuse me of writing fiction and many editors (insert Wegman and Willett) will attest to my ability to write novel-length articles. Deadlines tend to squeeze those words out of us. Deadlines keep seat of pants planted in seat of chair.

Writer’s block? I don’t buy it. It’s a myth. There’s always something to write about.

Later. So join me on this journey.

For now, I need to find out when espn.com starts mock Fantasy Baseball drafts.