Spilled Tea

Time and how it affects writing is a curious concept for me. Everyone I know wastes time. We all procrastinate and bemoan the fact that we do. I question whether it is really procrastination or the uncrossing of the mind? There is probably some mathematical formula that will predict or tell if we are procrastinating or clearing cobwebs but I have no idea what it is. I choose to believe that no matter how long the time period is between one word and another I am not procrastinating. I am clearing cobwebs or as I call it, I am “uncrossing my mind”


I work cross word puzzles and frequently when I am stumped I will put the puzzle aside and go back to it the next day or even longer. I am always amazed that in many of the puzzles I am able to solve them after my mind has had a rest from them. Has my mind worked while I am asleep or does a fresh mind take a different look at the problem? I know when I write something if I go back and read it over I always change it. My mind seems to look at it in a different way? Has a short period of time made that much difference? Is that really the right thing to do? I am told that often the best writing we do is in the first draft.

Is time the “grim reaper” to a writer or is time or the ability to use it properly a "God send" to a writer?

Time and mind seem to run on the same track or at least along side of each other. When the semaphore of knowledge like the semaphore on a train track rises, the mind is in a certain speed and time zone. When that same semaphore closes time continues but does the mind follow or does it wait and get on another train at some future date? When time continues without the mind does the knowledge go on or does the mind wait in some nebulous location waiting to be restarted?

When I’m writing a story, sometimes the words flow and the mind is working on however many cylinders it takes to make it work. Time seems to stop and not exist. But when the semaphore closes and the mind loses continuity or blows a gasket and the words do not come, then time seems to be a clock in your brain.

Maybe your brain turns into a clock and your mind becomes like the “mad hatter” running around, spilling tea while your mouth mimics the words, “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date.” The words, “writer’s block” spill from our mouths like the “mad hatters” spilled tea. We stare at the paper or the computer knowing that the clock is ticking. The big hand is visible inside your brain. There is a deadline looming. Your mind becomes confused about what it is supposed to do.

I think the mind turns off like a computer and needs to be rebooted. A long walk or a nights rest or a good hot showers are ways that I use to reboot my mind and get it creating words again. That’s what seems to work for me.

Often I will think about the direction of my article and not write anything about it. I will write about some part of my life. Then I will start writing anything that comes to mind about my project. If nothing seems to flow I will put it aside until the next day and try again. Sometimes this works really good and I write something that I am really excited about. However, often I end up in the “mad hatter” state writing an article with the spilled tea stains and it turns out to be a disaster.

I try to use those “mad hatter” articles as learning tools. I hope it is working. “Only time will tell”. What time does the train leave? I have a very important date with the “Mad hatter”.