Friday, July 24, 2009

Drawing a Blank

I have always loved the written word. I love to soak up ideas and images, sort through layers, revel in the richness of language. On my kindergarten final report, the teacher commented on how desperately I wanted to learn to read (in those days, the standards and expectations of 5 & 6 year olds were v-e-r-y different from today! Now you can't graduate from K without knowing how to read at a basic level).

I have also loved to write, to play with words, bring the images and ideas from my head into a form that expresses them to others. I make no claims to excellence, or even mediocrity in my writing, but it is an exercise I enjoy.

So I find myself in a rather odd predicament at the moment. Our local paper has a "From the Pastor's Desk" article every week, and the pastors in the area take our turns writing the column. I am assigned for the first week in August, and the first week in September. Since this baby could show up any time after the first weekend in August, I decided I should write both columns now, and submit them to the paper early with an explanation of my situation. All well and good. BUT. I am having the worst case of blank mind ever, writer's block big time. I can't squeeze out one column right now, much less two! I've started on several different themes, and run out of steam after 100 words each time (the column calls for 400-500 words).

What am I going to write?!?! Nothing is really catching my interest or inspiring any passion in me at the moment - other than the strong desire to sleep and eat as my body preps for the upcoming event. And I don't want to blather about pregnancy or babies in the column, I'd like SOME privacy and boundaries in these tiny communities. Arrghl. Makes me secretly wish I'd saved all those years worth of monthy newsletter articles I wrote in my last parish. I hate to recycle, but I'm coming up empty!

So. Now what?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Rather than coming up with two separate ideas, I would tie them together. You might be the only person who notices, but it will be easier for you. Suggestions? Summer and fall, endings and beginnings (summer break and school starting), food and drink (farmers' markets and fair trade coffee?)... Good luck. I used to write a weekly column, and sometimes it was a chore.