I’m a writer. Me typing that sentence is somewhat of a new experience for me – for the longest time, I never really self-identified as a writer. I used to just say, “I write.” Well, I do, but I’ve finally come to the realization that I am, in fact, a writer. It sounds like a simple realization to come to, but in all honesty, it wasn’t. Taking on the identification of a writer has taken a lot of time. I’ve come to accept that it is as much engrained in me as my personality, my love of music, and my sarcasm. With the realization that I am a writer has come a myriad of thought processes, roadblocks, revelations, and questions. I have a lot of questions.

Is there a place between words spewing out of you like lava and writer’s block? Is there a middle ground in between those two extremes? If there is, I feel like that’s where I live right now. I have such great ideas, I have amazing direction, and I can literally see the story coming together before my eyes, but I simply cannot find the words to translate that to paper. I’ve done everything I know how to, from listening to music that inspires me, to watching videos that give me inspiration, to imagining the story in my head…and nothing is working. It’s frustrating! I can’t tell you how many pages I rip out, how many lines I cross through, and how many times I just sit there frozen without the words to say to keep going through the story. It even happens to me while I’m trying to write blog posts, which is why sometimes it takes me forever to get posts up. I get stuck, I get frustrated, hell, sometimes I get angry.

But…this resurgence of my writing has proven something else to me. It’s proven to me that if I really want to do something, I’ll put my mind to it and get it done. Over the last few months, I’ve really stepped into the “writers headspace,” and am taking the time to actively get better. I try my best to write something every day. I’m starting to think the frustration is a good thing; to take it in stride instead of quitting and saying I can’t do it is a clear paradigm shift from how I used to operate. Granted, I have my days where writing is the hardest task I take on in the entire day, but it’s definitely all worth it in the end to me. That sweet day that I actually hold a copy of a book I’ve written in my hand? I can only imagine what that will feel like…

To all of my fellow writers out there, I commend you for the work you do. I know what it’s like to stare at a blank piece of paper and feel intimidation like never before, and I know the triumph you feel when you get something down on that piece of paper for the first time in days. I now turn this over to you and ask you a question: Do you feel this same level of frustration in your writing? I know I can’t be the only one, but I figured I’d start a discussion in the comments and see where it takes us…

Until next time, folks…