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Writer's Block

Discussion in 'Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings' started by Cheeniya, Dec 15, 2018.

  1. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Writer's Block!

    At last I got it diagnosed. I suffered from Writer’s Block. It’s a long story. I have been a prolific blogger in the past. I have written a lot of useful stuff on lizards, dogs, cats and flies including one sitting on American President’s lap. Initially I thought it was just a simple malady like a common cold which normally went off on its own unless we wished to increase the sales of sticky ointments that would set your nose on fire. But soon I realised that was more lethal like swine fever. That made me very depressed and that wiped my head clean. I reached a stage when it would be very difficult for anyone to judge which was balder, my external or internal head.


    I made a beeline to my Guru Googulananda and unloaded my anguish to him. He closed his eyes for a while and produced some 240 million references to writer’s block in 1.39 seconds. My face bloomed like a freshly watered plant. It gave me several reasons for this problem but the one that came close to my condition and the one I liked most was ‘depression’. It was difficult for me to judge if it was depression that caused writer’s block in me or vice versa. How would it matter in any case? I perked up considerably when I read that it could last anywhere between two and three months. It gave some valuable pointers like

    Don't start with a blank page. Write a quick outline. ...

    Read more widely. ...

    Write what you feel like writing. ...

    Start anywhere. ...

    Use your lifeline. ...

    Don't edit while you write. ...

    Create an 'idiot's outline.' ...

    Write without notes or quotes.


    I crumpled my blank page and threw it out of the window. I sat in front of my PC and started caressing my keyboard with my right index finger which, as you all know, has always been my trusted help in writing.

    When it comes to reading more widely, I am second to none, not even Jerome K Jerome. I am sure you remember the guy. He picked up a health encyclopaedia from a library and found to his horror that he had symptoms of all the diseases listed therein.

    When it comes to writing what I feel like writing, that is my major problem. I don’t feel like writing anything presently.

    Starting anywhere is a good idea but I prefer starting it in my club.

    Talking of using my last lifeline, this is my last lifeline and if I miss out now, I can as well pack up!

    Editing while I am writing? I don’t even read what I write!

    Create on ‘idiot’s outline’? This is rather uncanny. How did you know I was one?

    Writing without notes are quotes? That’s my major addiction. I normally give five or six quotes in whatever I write. My philosophy is that when others come out with some impressive stuff, there is nothing wrong in quoting them even if they don’t fit into what we write.


    After going through all the suggestions, I felt perked up considerably. The problem is not in writing. It is only in finding someone to read it. It’s a pity that Aesop’s tales are not half as popular as Harry Potter these days. I am amazed that the very first novels of some writers sold millions of copies. I know my day will come too. For winding up, I mean!
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2021
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  2. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    :roflmao:Good one, Sir!:tonguecrazy:
     
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  3. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @GeetaKashyap
    A shot in the arm for me. I still have one fan left! ☺
     
  4. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Cheeniya Sir,

    You have so many fans of you here in IL, myself included. Your self-diagnosis is worse than the diagnosis of your usual physician listening to all your symptoms and diagnosing nothing. Googlananda is going through deposition in the Congress and their CEO's attention is focused on educating a congressman the difference between Apple and Google.

    You are the only one in IL who has an index for all your threads and people are responding to threads written in 2007 even today. Your threads are equivalent of MGR (evergreen) for lack of better term. They are adored everyday by many in IL and probably most watched threads in IL.

    Continue quoting everything you enjoy reading and not all will be reading what you choose to read. I never miss observing your signature line changes. Bring it on and there are many here to read. There will never be a day for you to wind up from IL as long as we are here waiting for your next snippet.

    I have gifted you speech to text software in a famous thread so that you don't have to use one finger to type. I thankfully acknowledge the Rudraksham.

    Viswa
     
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  5. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    My dear Viswa
    I have successfully fished for compliments!
    I am quite good at it you know.
    The index of my posts is courtesy chitvish. After she became a rarity here, the index ceased abruptly.
    You know Viswa, all your praise is acutely embarrassing to me but I love it all.
    Sri
     
  6. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Cheeniya sir,
    Problem is not in writing. Then what is the problem? In finding readers!!!! Do you think you have become so popular without readers?????
    Just type. Words would flow.... Interesting, wit , humour and a message behind. A beautiful blog emerges.
    Syamala
     
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  7. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Cheeniya Sir, Simply superb! Whatever comes out of your index finger ,points out to so many hidden secrets,even an index finger may not be able to point out with visible witnesses.
    Guru Googlaananda is more efficient in causing confusion than clarification.On many occasions he/she catches hold of the the least important last word in four worded question needing clarification, leaving the essentials. The more I google, the more chances are there for forgetting what I needed.
    'If you don't get answer for your question, Google advises you to change the question itself.
    Jayasala 42
     
  8. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @shyamala1234
    Dear Syamala
    Apart from the problem of one-finger typing, I have more tales of distress to tell you. As I have told you all sometime back, besides being a one finger typist, I now operate with one eye only. Added to these physical handicaps, I have a handicapped keyboard too. It has lost most of the letters printed on the keys. So I now operate on a trial and error basis and the spell-check is my only help. But spell-check can mislead you by supplying wrong words most of the time.
    But I'll brave it all with supporters like you. Thank you!
    Sri
     
  9. Tamrakshar

    Tamrakshar Platinum IL'ite

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    Another humour-filled blog from you! If a star writer like you does not get enough readership, I wonder what happens to the lesser mortals! But as you yourself had once said, writing should be for writer's own pleasure, and it doesn't matter how much appreciation he receives. However, getting feedbacks, both positive and negative, can help a writer to improve.

    As far as difficulty in typing is concerned, why don't you use Samsung Tab? You can write while lying on the bed. It's auto-filling technology, most of the times, makes it so easier that you don't have to type more than a couple of letters of the entire word.
     
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  10. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @jayasala42
    Dear jayasala
    Getting kudos from a prolific writer like you is a great morale booster. Thank you!
    What you say about Googulananda has a point. Only this morning I saw in The Hindu about Sunder Pichai of Google explaing to US senate if it called Trumpp an idiot and if so why! The CEO gave a long and hightec explanation which, I am sure, the Senators did not understand a bit! Watch this!
    Sri
     

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