Breaking Through The Writing Logjam

I’ve been working on a new two act stage play off and on for the last three and a half years, mostly off, but over the past few months I’ve been giving it more attention. About a month or two ago I had about 10 to 15 minutes of stage time written with pen and paper, so I decided to type it into my word processor. I got into a good groove with the opening scene and worked on it for about a week, but when I got to page 20 I ran out of fuel. I wasn’t sure where to go next, so as I always do I waited for the well to replenish itself.

Last couple of days or do I was beginning to feel something bubbling up in the creative part of my mind, so yesterday I rode out to a west side cafe, ordered a coffee, sat down, did some reading, then pulled out notebook and pen and began writing. As the words poured out, the mystery of where to take the rest of the scene began to reveal itself, and the logjam in my mind broke open and the words flowed.

This burst of creativity finally ran its course about the time I finished my coffee, which seemed like the perfect time to head home. After a brief stop at the store I got back to my apartment and entered what I had written into word file on my desktop, and felt very satisfied.

My normal way of writing is to let the well fill up then empty its contents into words, and when the well runs dry I look for a new well so I can keep writing, then a third when the second one runs dry, and at some point the first well replenishes so I can tap into it again. But the writing of fiction and drama is more than just managing the flow of words as if it was water, it can also be about confronting past hurts and painful memories, which are often the raw material of writing, and bring some relief to a troubled psyche. The part of my play where I was stalled had evoked some buried insecurities so it took some time to get the narrative thread going again.

The play takes place in a cafe that’s going to close soon because it’s located in a building that’s going to be demolished to make way for a new, bigger mixed use building. The owner of the cafe is not only about to lose his livelihood but his reason for being. This resonates with my own dreams and goals and how I have yet to achieve most of them which can be frustrating at best and distressing at worst. But when I finish this play that will be one more goal accomplished, and I will savor the moment. 😊

©2024 Robert Kirkendall