The definition of insanity · 1:04am May 24th, 2018
Teatime was a ritual that summoned the fine spirit of calm. On the floor, a fat, lazy foal was a fuzzy, sleepy lump with her legs all askew while she slowly succumbed to the siren’s song of slumber. Hovering near the stove, a small, slight pegasus that was fresh out of the shower appeared pensive, her wings buzzing like some industrious, but inattentive bumblebee. She watched the teakettle, this pegasus, thus challenging the long-held notion that it would refuse to boil beneath these oppressive, overbearing conditions. An earth pony, a mare, sat upon the floor beside the sleepy foal, watching the battle between wakefulness and sleepiness with a distracted, subdued expression upon her wizened face. A second earth pony, a stallion, sat at the kitchen table, upon which he rested his forelegs and most of his bulk upon. His face was lined with worry, his beetled brows heavy, overwrought with concerned frustration. Though his expression resembled anger, this was misleading.
I have written this paragraph a couple of dozen times or more. For realsies. I want it to feel and read a certain way, and so far, nothing I do seems to satisfy. I am immensely frustrated and cannot seem to progress beyond this simple point, because something in my brain says this could be fine-tuned somehow. But I keep writing the same thing... over and over. For hours now.
Did ya try taking a break, doing something else, not thinking about it, having a bite, playing a game, surfing the web, catching some Zs, catching up with a friend, relaxing in your favorite chair, watching a movie, doing some exercise, reading a good book, having some ice water, taking a nice warm bath/shower, taking a brisk walk, getting some fresh air, looking at a funny video, playing with a pet, working on another project, discussing your issue with a fellow writer, asked an editor to take a crack at it, visiting family, playing a sport, a new look, yoga, looking back on some of your older works, working on an art piece, cleaning around the house, reflecting on past experiences, and all that jazz?
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Sounds like work to me.
the conundrum of whether or not to take a break or to double down on a problem. can be almost impossible to tell which is the better path
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Well, I didn’t mean all in the same day
A work of art is never complete, only abandoned. The challenge is getting to the point where you can say you're satisfied enough with the result. I usually get through a block by doing something mindless like working out or driving to work.