Brain Freeze



Pen poised in hand. Clean paper waiting. Brain empty.


This is the predicament so many writers find themselves in on a near daily basis. Harris Green was facing his worst dilemma ever. He had finally been awarded the book deal of a lifetime and he was required to start putting together his ideas into a format that could be marketed. The problem was, here he was sitting in front his fresh sheet of paper, a ream waiting next to it and he could not muster the strength to write down a single word.


Writing had always come so simply to him. His stories seemed to flow like water from a tap without having a care in the world. Then he realized what the problem was. He has always written for him. There was no pressure. Now, he was required to get down at least 150 pages to turn in to the editor in the next three months. He was locked up with fear.


He walked around the room and lit a cigarette. What he needed was inspiration. What he needed was something to knock everything loose. Just then it hit him. He called up his friend Doug who was also a writer. His brown eyes bore into the phone as the number was dialed, and he waited with bated breath until Doug Answered.


"Hello", Doug Breathed into the phone in that familiar way.


"Doug", Harris started with anticipation, "I have hit a wall and I need some help. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get out of writer's block?"


A sigh and then silence.


"Hello?" Harris was worried the line had disconnected. He even glanced at the phone.


"Just write something." Was the reply that finally came filled with a lithesome tone.


Confused, Harris replied, "But, that is the problem. I can't. I don't know what to write! Help!"


"Just write words down on a piece of paper. Any words! Write a freaking grocery list if that is all you can come up with. The idea is to just write. It doesn't have to be good, but you gotta exercise that muscle, bro. Look I gotta go. Good luck and all."


With that the line went dead, and Harris returned to the paper. It still looked intimidating with the pen laying on top of it. Slowly, he sat down at the desk and picked up the pen. He wrote random words at first and then the words formed into something that made sense. He wrote for ten solid minutes before he gave any thought to what was happening.


He was free and he could not wait to get started on the actual project. Excited he grabbed another piece of paper and laid it down in place of the old one. He shook his head, leaned forward and put the pen to the paper and his brain emptied. Again!

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