1.Read an interesting article in NST (FYI I seldom buy NST, most of the time I'd go for STAR) on Monday 2011.02.28 entitled "Overcoming Writers Block". I was quite pleased to see the title because although I have been writing quite a bit in my yellow "The Book of Torque: Chapter 1", I am still slacking in updating my blog.
The article mentioned a few good points to be on top of the situation, presented below in my own words & interpretation:
a) Brainstorm & organize: get a blank piece of paper (or a fresh page on your computer, iPad , GalaxyTab or whatever toys you lug around for that purpose!), write the topic and jot down whatever that comes to your mind. Don't bother about grammars or spelling or what. Just jot everything down and later on, organize all the ideas and find the central point of the idea. Start expanding with key sentences then proceed to complete each of the paragraphs.
b) Uninhibited writing: simply allow a short time limit (5-10 minutes) and just write down whatever you can think of, related to the topic. No matter it makes sense or not, just continue to write until the time is up, then you should take a couple of minutes to go through what you have done and re-organize it in such a way to enable you to start a proper article.
c) Grouping: I find this quite similar to the loose definition of "mind-mapping". Same with the earlier mentioned point above, grouping method is also about writing with no clear ideas, just a topic or a word that would be the central point of the intended document or article. Place the word in the middle of a blank piece of paper and start to write any similar or related words around it, connecting it to one another as you go along. It should not be logical nor well-structured. Just do it and see how it goes....you may find new ideas and topics.
Above all, bear in mind that writer's block is not permanent...if it is, then maybe you might conclude that you are just not a natural writer in the first place....but still, you should not succumb to the situation and you must find fresh ways to view your topics, ideas or subjects...find the way to continue writing.
2.
SO, what about my personal view on the subject?
Frankly, when I started writing this blog way back in 2005, I have no idea I am going to write this long....6 years already.
Thank you AbeDib for introducing me to Blogspot and asking me to start writing about anything.
I started writing about things that matters to me.
My family. My loved ones. My passion.
My roles in the corporate world that I was enjoying and finally ditched about 5 years after I started writing this blog....
I wrote as and when I feel like writing and it was easy to let my fingers ran across the keyboards of my devices - or my pens & pencils scribbling across the pieces of papers in my journal - maybe because the ideas and words just came naturally from my heart and my mind. It was all about what I am thinking, feeling, experiencing, learning....everything that are close to me. To a certain extent I was really cursing, placing all my hatred and anger into words. It may sounded negative but it prevented me from doing other more negative things - that one is for sure. In all instances, if it is white, I will say it is white. Some may say I should not be blunt or I should be milder in my writings etc etc...I should do this and that and all that other stuff to refrain from writing what I have already written....but to me, I will write whatever I want...and again - in all instances, if it is white, I will say it is white.
3.It was almost like I just translated what was in my heart into words...and I guess that was the big factor that made it easy for me to write.
The ideas, translated into words, sentences, paragraphs....flows naturally, like water.
...then it became more difficult. Each new sentence requires more effort than the previous one.
Why?
4.
I can only answer the question for myself.
Apart from the adjusting to change in daily life since I left the corporate world, I come to realize that the one big reason why it became difficult is because I started to lost focus - instead of writing whatever I wanted to write, whatever my heart wanted to say, unconsciously I started to write for "audience". (Do note that professional writers are focused on their specific audience).
Not that I have a massive number of readers that would be waiting for my next entry...but somehow I became conscious that I have to "tailor" my writing for such "audience".
Big mistake. Not entirely stupid but still, a biggie.
I realized this after reading the mentioned article a couple of times and quietly questioning myself (again and again...for so many times since last year!) what is it that's stopping me from being able to write as easy as it was.
So, I guess I have found the answer finally and with the aide of the article in NST, I hope to write more and more in this blog and in "The Book Of Torque: Chapter 1".
InsyaAllah...
5.
Do you write?
If your answer is no, please....consider to start writing. It might be the best gift for your kids....because your handwriting, sketches and all, would still be there with your loved ones...even when you are not there with them anymore....
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