I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but time really flies and, well, I have been going through some serious writer’s block!

I know that this isn’t really an excuse not to write – indeed, I encourage people to write through it in the hopes that they can conquer the maelstrom that is writer’s block. It is so easy to write when the inspiration just flows, but what about when your muse disappears and self-doubt rears its ugly head? It’s not so easy to embrace creativity and believe in what you are writing when you are second-guessing yourself.

Emotion is a powerful motivator in writing. Whenever I am angry, happy or sad I turn to writing as an emotional outlet. It’s some of the best kind of therapy, and you get progress from it. But lately I haven’t been motivated by any strong emotion. I have felt void of any inspiration, and every time I go to write it all feels pointless.

Any writer goes through this at some point. I’ve gone through it plenty of times. That’s what I tell myself. But it is so frustrating to have all these plans and ideas and not be able to put them into words. I mean, wouldn’t it be great if there was some device that could just transfer our thoughts to paper (or a word document)?

I know the only way to get through it is to keep trying. Sure, it seems impossible, but a wise bird once said, “you’re sure to do impossible things, if you follow your heart!” In case you didn’t get the reference, that’s from the movie Thumbelina. Though it’s not a Disney movie, I think it’s good enough to be.

If only we all had some cartoon animal to remind us we’re fantastic every time we had a crisis of self-doubt. In the end, however, we only have ourselves.

In the meantime, while I plug out the words for my story slowly but (hopefully) surely, I am doing other things that I hope will help fuel the fires of my motivation. I am reading like crazy, all different genres, fiction and non-fiction and poetry. I’m currently reading the Jack West Jr series by Australian author Matthew Reilly – check them out, they’re like an action movie in book-form!

Remember to keep going, because sometimes that’s all you can do. And hopefully, somewhere along the way, we will get to where we need to go.

In the meantime, watch this video for that song from Thumbelina and maybe it will inspire you!