“Houston, We Have a Problem”

Yah, I got  it – bad.

I so badly want to sit down with my netbook and write away.  I have the netbook.  I have the time.  I have the education.  I have experiences from life…

I just can’t think of anything to write about!

During the 20 years I taught elementary education, I spent a great deal of time and effort teaching my young students how to write.  We did daily journaling.  Much of the time the students wrote about whatever they wanted.  I had one first-grader who wrote exclusively about going bear hunting with his dad.  His entries were very descriptive on every aspect of bagging a bear.  During a Parent-Teacher conference, I learned that while his dad was a big hunter, the little wanna-be had as yet to experience hunting with his father.

In order to introduce other styles and topics of writing, teachers make use of  journaling prompts.  There are many ways to use writing prompts.  Resource books offer sentence prompts, picture prompts, and special writing stationary that helps stimulate the students’ imagination and writing.  Or, teachers  just tell them what to write about, like; “Why is there a polar bear swimming in your back yard pool?”

In my efforts to overcome my writers’ block I spent hours googling sites that might offer writing prompts.  I found dozens of such sites.  I read through dozens and dozens of prompts, advice, and strategies for good writing.
Nothing.
Blank.
Blocked.

Many bloggers write about their families – especially their children.  I have children.  Four of them, with lots of tales.   But I can’t write about them.  They won’t let me.   Many blog sites feature food, but how often can one write about heating up frozen pizza?  Then there are sites that give advise on organization, frugality, spirituality, photography, and  craftology.  But I read those sites to learn something.  How could I write about something I’m not an expert on?  Would anyone be interested in my experiences at getting all tangled up in my attempts at knitting?

Maybe politics, current events, civil rights… all the ‘hot topics’…but it seems as though my brain is no longer wired for intellectual verbalization.  Too many years spent at the first grade level.

I just can’t think of anything to write about!   So, I publicly and officially admit it –

“Hi, my name is Terri, and I have Writer’s Block!” 

Is there a cure ?  Some kind of 12 step program?
Maybe tomorrow I will think about something to write.