Writer's Block

Don't we all face those moments of being ridiculously incoherent,when the right words and phrases escape you and your'e left with that frustrating feeling of trying too hard to do the oh-so-simple. On other days, they just flow effortlessly,like you've never known a mental block. What's needed is to put yourself in your own most resourceful mind set- think back to the time you knew you couldn't go wrong.

Kindegarten : It's a bright,sunny day and the kids are all happily frolicking, in
textbooks. So is Mittzy. For one thing, she loves this place for all
the new exciting things they do each day. Her teacher, Mrs Marriot
is watching over as Mittzy writes the alphabets, it's all fun till
they reach 'K', something Mittzy can't seem to get right. Inspite of
Mrs Marriot's instructions, reprimanding and overall trying techniques
it just won't happen. So they decide to play a game, one Mittzy's best
at. The next time,she just gets it, not considering whether she can't!

Grade Four: Mittzy reads a poem in the kid's section of the national paper, one
she particularly likes and wishes she'd written it in the first place . She takes it to her
mum and swears it's her work.Mums always know best. She still insists. And
keeps persisting till the point it drives her to write one of her
very own. Uninhibited and overconfident, she writes poems she'd find
rather silly over the years.

Grade Five : Mittzy is gifted, by an uncle -her first ever diary!
"For your own words",her mum says. Privacy promised with
a lock and key.There's nothing to hold back. Mittzy is overjoyed
and her spirits of doodling boosted. She writes, draws, pastes,
her creativity knows no end. It's a door to another world.


Grade Seven: Mittzy has taken to diary writing, all her dreams and fears and plans
and days are compiled in a best friend that wouldn't talk back! After
all it's confidential and kept in that tallest shelf of the dresser,
under a mountaneous heap of clothes.
She starts writing poetry and one fine day,her poem gets selected in
the North American Poetry Contest worth a prize $10,1000
,the manuscript sent back for proofread and copyrights but she's
heavily time barred in posting back. However, it gets published in
a coffee table edition of 'Time After Time'. Mittzy
is aplauded with words of appreciation and encouragement,from
family,friends and teachers alike.

Grade Eight,Nine,Ten: Mittzy is unstoppable and nothing is so big to falter her
spirits from reaching the heights of poetry and prose. She's
helped founding the school newspaper and recognized for her
efforts.Such a wonderful world!



Onwards: There's times Mittzy hasn't always felt so confident,so sure
about the kind of words she's writing.She knows she's way
out of some of her contemporiers but not quite as prolific as
she'd want to be.She has unearthed the works of several great writers
and considers hers in stark contrast with them. She reads,likes and
feels miserable. She writes, okays and feels uplifted.The growing years
take their toll in emotional terms,there's pressure to perform at school/
workplace,grouped together with fears of the big bad world,outside.The
drudgery of everday challenges runs over the stream of creativity,running
ever so abundantly.
Writing is her outlet, her refuge, her therapy. It helps her gain control and let go. She writes in her journals, wherever she is. She loves the ebb and flow of words and the way they dance together. She feels inspired by the power of words- both intricate and simple and the beauty and truthfulness in them. She knows it's a feat to use them properly yet nothing she cannot conquer, with patience and practice.But what about the days she's at the mercy at those ideas and thoughts and words and phrases that just wouldn't budge? Especially when it is critical to some looming deadline? She thinks of her most resourceful state- an inspiring book,entertaining movie,favourite line from a song or even that delicious snack that associates her with feelings of being whole and enjoying it. There'l always be better writers, the idea is to focus on your own individual voice. And ask yourself, ' how hard can it really be?'.

'What is called "talent" is simply a set of resources that have been combined, sequenced, and practiced until they become an automatic skill.'