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Writer's Block

I think you may have misunderstood, or perhaps I somehow mis-expressed what I meant.

You raised two points - one about the actual existence of a muse. Yes, there is something inside every one that burns and drives them to create. It may be a real person who inspires, an idea, or just some inner energy which is impossible to quite pin down. Artist can call this their muse, divine blessing, God, their soul, human spirit, or something else.

However, all too often, I see writers claim that their muses left. They (themselves) do nothing to write, refuse to type, refuse to even look for some inspiration (to go outside, to read something different, and any of the other suggestions that others have left above). They say that it's not in their hands, not influenced by their action. Some higher Power That Be has left them and they are the helpless victim.

This is this common attitude rather than some assumption about your friend that makes me say "No, it's not fate. It's not some magical muse. It's you and only you can reclaim your writing."

The second point was that you felt I urged the writer to give up at the first hint of adversity. Nothing could be further from the truth. A writer should keep writing, no matter what. Should keep submitting and collecting rejection slips. Should keep trying to improve, not matter what anyone, anywhere says. Never did I say that a "worst writer" should stop writing, or that there is no room in their life for writing. However, what would you say to a violinist who hasn't touched an instrument in years? Here we get into the gray area.

I do speak from experience and wish to offer these two examples which I hope will clarify what I meant in my original post.

I had a close friend who began writing an epic when she was twelve. She continued working on it through middle school and high school. By eleventh grade, she was nearly in constant state of agitation and misery where the trilogy was concerned. Her writing had developed a lot - she rewrote the novels three times and was working on her fourth rewrite. Her opinion of what storytelling was had changed - she revised the plot four times. Now, at this point, she should not give up. However, for two more years, she was unable to work on it. She stopped writing at all because she had a "block" where it was concerned. Having spent five-six years of her life on the project, it killed her to be unable to accomplish the goal she had set at age eleven. She refused to write anything else, because the trilogy was her priority in writing. Anything else was a 'betrayal' of what she had worked for.

Six years of writing, even filled with frustrations and troubles and rough spots were good. They taught her a lot. However, three subsequent years of misery, guilt, anguish and longing to write just weren't good for her, for any aspect of her life. I urge any writer that is going to pieces over a project to take a deep breath and ask themselves several vital questions like those I mentioned in my above post. Furthermore, letting go of something isn't necessarily a bad thing if it isn't having a positive impact on the writer's life. An end to one project can be just the thing a writer needs to move on to another, or to realize some important truth about himself.

If writing is truly a part of you, you'll never give it up. But knowing you can, gives you the freedom to keep writing from becoming an obligation and to take joy in doing something you love.

My second example comes from my own life. I had a low period of my life filled with apathy, complete lack of interest in the things I had loved to do, and emotional pain. Writing wasn't a release for me then. It was a jab at me. A accusing finger I pointed at myself. Why wouldn't I write? Why couldn't I write?

I didn't want to. Nothing came to me. I didn't have the energy to make the effort. Oh and so many more excuses. They were real though.

Thing is, I wanted to write - I knew I did, I just couldn't find the energy. And that sent me into a vicious cycle of guilt, self-recrimination and self-blame. What got me out of it was letting writing go. I told myself that it was okay. I'd spent years getting where I was, trying to get published, publishing, writing, studying forms and language. And I got a lot out of it, but there was nothing wrong with taking a break. It was a relief to forgive myself.

Three months later, I was writing again. I still am.

If you truly love it, no power on earth is going to take it away from you.

So like I said "Don't give up. (Or do. After all, might be easier on you. Let it go. You might be hanging on to something that has no place in your life. And if you can't let go, then the break might be just the thing you need)"

And yes, you did come off as a bit rude, but perhaps that is simply because of miscommunication. If this specific position on art and writing still upsets you, I am sorry about that, but it's simply the way I think of what I love. As for 'understanding' - I hope there will always be enough of it to go 'round.

Solidarity

PS. As for your teacher comment; Time will tell whether I will fail miserably at it.