Writer's Block

I had planned to spend this winter break writing. I had a month off of school and I quit my job, so I really didn't have an excuse. Then writer's block hit. Not the kind of writer's block where you can't think your way out of a plot hole, or come up with the next line of dialogue. I had the type of writer's block where you can't think of a single story or thing to say. The kind of writer's block that tells you "Who'd care about that story anyways?" Even these blog posts ON MY NEW BLOG were sporadic. 

Whenever a discussion of writer's block appears, there is eventually the obligatory statement that goes something like this: "Writer's block is a mental block.". I could have profoundly messed that up, that's just how I remember it. Anyhow, it's completely true in my case. Everyone has different mental blocks and ways to smash the blocks apart. I admittedly get weird around this time of year. By weird I mean sad and unambitious*. Honestly, I just had to stop whining and kick my ass into gear.

 I didn't do that by writing though. Instead I immersed myself in other people's worlds. I read several books. Then came The Book Thief. This book truly moved me. It was so beautiful and raw and honest. It reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird (one of my favorites) in a few ways. Even though The Book Thief is not narrated by a child, it is focused on one. Both talk about enormous events while seemingly focusing on small ones. Both of these books will stay with me for a very long time.  Both of them inspire me. The Book Thief was just so beautiful that I couldn't make excuses anymore. 

So I'd say that to overcome writer's block, or any mental block, you need to re-inspire yourself. Read a heartbreakingly beautiful book, listen to a hypnotizing song, go find the most breathtaking scenery around and sit. Just don't give up. Because even if the world already has a million stories, pieces of art, songs, etc, they don't have yours. Don't rob the world of what you have to offer. 

*Yes, I mean sad and unambitious. No, I don't mean depressed. I've experienced that in the past, and to call my winter blues depression feels like a huge slap in the face to those that are actually depressed.