Christine Buske.com

I am not a big believer in “writer’s block”, even though I am the walking definition of it. However, I realized what could be at least one cause of “the block” so many writers seem to struggle with, write about and debate.

Let me tell you about my writer’s block, and where I think it is coming from.

I was reading through this month’s Elle magazine, and I was astonished at actually finding a glossy that has very interesting articles. I used to devour copies of Cosmopolitan, thinking it was the ultimate sign of my femininity and urban independence. All of a sudden however I realized that each new issue of Cosmo has essentially the same articles shuffled around and repackaged: “how to please your man”, “how to have a mind blowing orgasm” and “secret things all men want in bed”. I’m never one to reject some tips and tricks, in whatever area, but the ridiculous directions some of these articles take, and the absurd claims none of the men I’ve personally asked can confirm to be true became a real turn off for me.

I then subscribed to Flare, and liked it a lot better than Cosmo simply for the lack of “sex” repeated six times on the cover every single month. However, where Flare fuels my fashion craving it also lacks in the number of articles it has.

Now, I read through Elle and realized that it contains quite a bit of “pretty prose”, significantly different from the “witty & smart” word-play that dresses up the bed-play articles in Cosmo. I much prefer the pretty prose, and as a writer I find it both inspiring and terrifying.

It made me com to a realization: my writer’s block stems from sheer prose-starvation. I have been too entrenched in academic articles, both reading and attempting to write them, that I forgot all about the other half of my brain. I have been frustrated that I seem to be incapable of dressing up a story, even though I have no trouble coordinating my wardrobe. Now I know why: I have stomped the creativity out of myself in favor of “clear and concise” writing that so well serves its purpose in a more academic setting. Unfortunately, it has left me feeling creatively dead.

It’s time for a revival. I vow to read more pretty prose, because how can I expect to expel creativity if I don’t fuel my brain first? It’s much like being a top chef; you can’t think up fabulous dishes if you are a culinary anorexic. If you are going through a bad case of writer’s block, I now believe your time is more productively spent by nourishing yourself with good literature or articles.

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