What if writers block helped mature women find happiness?

This morning I woke up and didn't want to get out of bed. When that happens I sometimes reach for my iphone and play a game of freecell or read a New York Times article. This morning I read.

The article I chose was about elderly hospital patients having hallucinations. What a way to get motivated for the day. Anyway, I've been reading random things hoping something would inspire me to write a short story that would lead to a novel that would become a series. Okay – I know “hope is not a method” and truthfully I'm not interested in writing short stories. I'm a novelist. But ... at this point I'm willing to try anything to get my creative writing ink juices flowing unto the page in a coherent, completed story.

The article got me up and out of bed

The Times article talked about a man whose wife happens to be a novelist and writing instructor. Her name is Anne Bernays and she sounded familiar. It just so happens that I have a book she co-authored titled What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers.

Thinking that I had the book propelled up out of the bed and up the stairs to my writing space. That's impressive. Plus, I'd been using the phrase “what if” for a few weeks to help me generate ideas.

The problem is I don't really need any more ideas. I'm an idea factory. What I don't have is any desire an the ability to sit my ass down and write from A to Z. What if I have nothing to say or nothing I feel is worth saying? Why do I feel an obsession to write yet can't ... I abhor writing exercises and until now haven't admitted that I have writer's block.

Anne Bernays' name coming up during one of my morning "why get out of bed" spells is a sign and I love a good sign because truth be told, I'm basically a passive person. So, I'm putting the book in purse and going to work.

What is co-author Pamela Painter doing these days?

This is what I call productive procrastination. Instead of focusing on writing fiction I'm thinking about researching Pamela Painter. Instead of outlining I'm thinking about finding a section of a book that talks about the likelihood of people having careers related to their names. Like painter being into something creative. Does she also paint? I could spend more time and find out but would that help me with my novel? It could lead to a character –

but as I said before I'm not short on any part of the novel except for the ability to start at the beginning and follow through until I reach the end. How do I fix that? Maybe there's a writing exercise to help me. I'll investigate and report back.