Now and then, every writer has those moments where they don't know what to write, how to continue writing what they planned on, or when they scrapped multiple ideas because they didn't know how to write about the idea. Right now, this is one of those moments. This is the process of what I go through with my writers block this week with help from scenes from Spongebob.
The ideas
After writing down a few things I want to write about, I try to make a few points on each and try to figure out how to expand on them. Some I keep for future pieces others I just scrap. This week, all my ideas were put to the side until I could think of how to expand on them and realized I should write about the issue I am facing with creating an article. I like to think of myself as Squidward trying to make the imagination rainbow in the box episode of Spongebob when I can't think of anything.
The beginning of the piece.
Although I had the idea and how I wanted I had no idea how to start the piece. I try multiple openings with no way to add on to the first sentence for the first few. I figure out how to take each and go from a a few words to a couple of lines to open the piece.
The distraction.
We all have ways we get distracted. Whether is be television, our phones, a friend, or social media. When I can't thing of something or a way to expand on something, I normally have to take a break. Then when I look at the time and realize I took a little too long of a break, it becomes crunch time and I have to start thinking.
Expanding the list.
Now that I have the opening done, I need to begin writing the actual piece. I take that list of points I want to discuss and start to expand them each into actual sentences, phrases, or just a few words and start to figure out when to put each.
Distraction dos.
Lets be honest--if you can't figure out what to write and then you know what to write and get it all together you need find a distraction reason to take a break that you earned.
Finally putting it together online and finishing it up.
Now that my ideas are put together in some sort of ideal plan, it is time to bring it online. I write everything down in the order I think is best suitable, make sure I like how it looks, change anything I want done, and hit submit and wait for it to go live and to share it.
After thoughts.
Now that it's finished and being looked over by the wonderful editors, you wake up in the middle of the night and remember that there was more you could have added and it slowly eats you up inside since now it can not be added as you have already received the "Your article is live!" email.