Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 7 November 2017 | Page 7

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE
It seems most quotations on this subject are about despair. For example, James
Joyce remarks:
"no pen, no ink, no table, no room, no time, no quiet, no inclination."
And Joseph Conrad:
"Full 3 weeks – no two consecutive ideas, no six consecutive words to be found
anywhere in the world. I would prefer a red hot gridiron to that cold blankness."
Bleak words indeed.
Not wanting to give up, I search for something more positive. H.G. Wells provides
it:
"If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an
hour when it isn't expecting it."
And Graham Greene has an interesting response:
"At the beginning of the 'block' one says to oneself…This time it's the 'coup de
grace'; it's the end…Only dreams enable me to fight these painful blocks."
And for a bit of fun, this comes from Sir Walter Scott on the subject:
"But I must say to the Muse of fiction, as the Earl of Pembroke said to the
ejected nun of Wilton, 'Go spin, you jade, go spin.'"
We all have different ways of fighting this potential block, whether it exists or not.
Personally, I see it as just a lull in our creativity. It's a bit like going to a doctor
with an ailment, once it's given a name it seems to grow in proportion. I like to
think of the situation of not having the words flow – or an idea come – as just a
part of a writer's life. And hopefully a short one.
Often something as simple as leaving your desk, going out for a walk, or visiting
a friend, can make all the difference. Don't dwell on it. And never call it by name.
Look at old photographs. Read a book. A newspaper. Go to a movie. Travel.
Anything. But don't give up.
If all else fails, come back to your desk, sit down and start to write, like I have.
You're a writer after all. Write anything. Start a journal if you don't already have
one. Write some emails. As Erskine Caldwell said:
"You can always write something. You write limericks. You write a love letter.
You do something to get you into the habit of writing again, to bring back the
desire."
So, there you have it. Writer's block? What's that? Despite the fact I've enrolled
the help of many late greats. Job done.
6 | NOVEMBER 2017