Week 11 - “The Writer”

Emerging from their long, uninspired slumber, the BURNT OUT WRITER faces the new year. The writer will have many perils to face: the dreaded IMPOSTER’S SYNDROME and DAUNTING DEADLINES make for a grave duo. Will the writer be able to survive the harsh year? Let’s see… 

Oh, here they come! The writer approaches their computer. This is promising. They will scroll, glazed and lifelessly, through their email for many minutes before opening a new document. What might they write this session? Observe, as they type. 

‘Ffghghk.’ Ah— this is referred to colloquially as a ‘key smash’. Perhaps the writer needs time to warm up; it has been quite the hibernation after all! Hmm.. 

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck..’ Well, that’s just profane. Clearly, the writer is in profound turmoil.

 ‘It was a dark and stormy night…’ That simply won’t do. The writer deletes the words with evident, mounting frustration. They attempt to—.. Oh. 

They scroll through their email once more. It appears one of their favorite stores is having an online sale. Focus, dear writer! How will they face the predator deadlines this way?

Ah, there we go— the writer opens the document again. They begin to type.. What’s this? Have they come up with a new idea? Perhaps a chapter towards their novel? A page or two towards the script they’ve kept from last year? Flash fiction? Poetry? Anything?

.. Really? A cheeky introspective piece about their very own writing process. Well, it’s.. something. A bit contrived but something. 

The writer wipes the sweat from their brow and gives a relieved sigh. They have saved themselves another week in the tumultuous creative world. They crawl back into their den. But oh, poor writer — don’t they know that their rest is short-lived? There will be another week .. And another.. And..

.. Please stop fretting, writer. There is no use.