The night was …

Recently, while watching one of the bazillion channels available via DirecTV, I stumbled across an old, familiar Billy Crystal movie. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the entire film, but it’s been awhile and I don’t quite remember all of it. One thing I did remember about the movie was that Billy Crystal plays a writer named Larry who falls into a horrific case of the dreaded writer’s block. Though it’s a terrifying prospect for anyone who wants to write, you just can’t help but laugh at Larry’s attempts to get his writing kickstarted again.

While I’m certainly not in Larry’s position, I can sympathize with his predicament. Recently, it seems I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock on my writing path. I can never remember a time while I’ve been actively writing where I simply got stuck at a certain point. But, I have. And not just in one book, mind you, but two! Every time I open either of them, all I seem to be able to do is stare at the screen (Larry had it worse – all he could stare at was a blank piece of paper) and think to myself, “The night was …”

For a brief glimpse into the agony that is writer’s block, enjoy, if you will, this short video. Don’t worry. It’s okay to laugh at Larry’s misery. I’ve done so myself 🙂

Okay, so I can’t even post a few minutes of a longer clip from a movie that I found already posted on youtube. What’s up with that? Yeah, like my clip was going to cause them to lose revenue. Bleah … Well, it will come back. Just wait and see.

The night was …

I know the block will eventually go away, and that all I need to do is keep trying to plug away. But it’s certainly scary when something like this grips you. You wonder if anything good will ever come from your fingertips again. So for now, maybe it’s time to start work on that third novel. Or maybe a new short story. Yeah, yeah … that’s the ticket.

–dp

PS – for those who are curious, and don’t recognize the movie, it’s Throw Momma from the Train 🙂