How to Re-inspire Yourself

At times you just can’t move along in a story and it has nothing to do with creative forces.  Unless you are a professional writer with the net worth to back up not having a regular job there are always going to be days that suck the life out of you and while writing can really help bring you back to earth the desire to actually do it is nill.  Sometimes there are just too many other things to do.  In short, life gets in the way of your writing.  You will have days when there is simply no time to put key to keyboard or pen to paper.  The key is to try and not let this happen too many days in a row.  Just as a small crack can turn into a big one before you know it a week or a month have passed by.

To break out of this vicious cycle I try to remind myself how fun writing a story is by writing something really small and simple.  The most common reason I stop writing for a long period is because I have gone back and forth so much with details and problems with my current project that it becomes work.  I have a job already, I write for fun, I don’t want to deal with another headache every day.  By writing a small two to three paragraph story in one shot I get the creative side of my brain working again and I can see a completed story right in front of me.  That sense of accomplishment can be the driving force that gets you back to writing your real masterpieces.

Glancing at my word file lets me know that I haven’t written anything on my current project in forty-one days!  So let’s give this off the cuff short story a shot.  I am currently picturing “Who’s Line is it anyway?”.  Topic …. Hmmmm … going to the store.  With who?..... the dog.  Why? …the dog wants ice-cream.

Okay, here goes …

Jimmy sat up after a long stretch.  He had been woken up by that annoying Kardashian show blaring on the TV.  He wandered over to Tim who was loudly snoring on the couch.  Now I know why the TV was so loud Jimmy thought to himself.  He tried to wake up Tim by head butting his leg, but that wasn’t working.  Groin shot it is.  Jimmy leapt into Tim’s lap causing him to curse and groan in one breath.    

                “Stupid dog” Tim blurted out.  Jimmy just sat on him staring him in the face.  Ice-cream, Ice-cream, Ice-cream, Jimmy’s inner monologue repeated over and over.  Tim pushed the dog to one side and grabbed his shoes from beside the couch.

                “Going to the store” he announced to his wife who was still engrossed with the Kardashians.  Tim grabbed Jimmy’s leash and hooked it to his collar.  Jimmy’s tail was wagging like crazy. 

                “Ice-cream” he happily reported to himself.

                The grocery store was less than a mile from Tim’s modest house and although the streets were dark as soon as they neared the store the headlights from the main road lit up the sidewalk with crazy eerie shadows.  Within ten minutes Jimmy was standing triumphantly outside the grocery store.  Tim went to hook Jimmy’s leash to a pole.

                “What the hell?” Jimmy immediately said to Tim.  “How am I going to pick my ice-cream flavor if you leave me out here?”.  Soon a stranger commented on the barking dog.

                “Looks like you got a wild one there” the man said to Tim.  A wild one, me? Jimmy thought to himself.  Time for a change in tactics.  As Tim knelt down to attach him to the pole, he looked into his eyes with the perfect puppy dog stare he had perfected many years ago.  He tipped is head to one side and tried to lick Tim’s hand.

“Sorry Jimmy, No Dogs Allowed” he said and pointed to the sign with a picture of a dog with a big X through it. 

                “Fine.  Get me peanut butter ice-cream with sprinkles” he barked angrily at Tim.

                Jimmy hated being attached to a pole.  How come Tim got to go in the store with all of the smells, good things to eat, and people to jump up on.  He felt helpless.  What if a cat came by?  Who would chase it away and save the planet?  His racing thoughts were broken by the sight of Tim with one of those white plastic bags that seem to carry all the good stuff.

                “Peanut butter ice-cream?” he barked.  Tim said nothing and just unhooked him.

                “Freeeeedooomm” Jimmy said embracing the spirit of Mel Gibson.  Ten minutes later they were at home.  The Kardashians had ended but now Chloe and Courtney was starting.  Jimmy cringed as he looked at the TV with distain.  I may hate that thing more than cats he thought to himself.  Tim slumped back into his couch groove and pulled cookies from the plastic bag. 

“Okay good start but get to the ice-cream” said Jimmy.  He turned to see the TV volume was being increased some more.  Can’t get distracted, must get ice-cream Jimmy thought as he looked at Tim and then back at the plastic bag.

                “Good dog Jimmy” Tim said and threw the bag towards the expectant dog.  Jimmy jumped forward thrusting his head right into the bag.  He sniffed the bag and it smelled of cookies.  Mmmm cookie smell.  He kept going, sticking his head deeper into the bag.  It was empty.  Jimmy’s cookie smell euphoria immediately ended.

                “Why you dirty no-good rotten human” Jimmy started.  “I walk all the way to the store with you and tell you exactly what I want you to get seeing as you left me tied up outside, and all you come back with is cookies, for you”. 

                “Tim, make the dog stop barking, I can’t hear my show” a voice from the other couch said.  Jimmy stopped and slowly wandered to his dog bed under the window.  I am soooo peeing on your couch tomorrow he thought and quickly fell back asleep.

Okay, a quick twenty minute story to get the creative flow going again.  I will give it a quick read to make sure I didn’t make any typos or grammar errors and on to my blog it will go.