Digital Writer's Block

We have always read about writers block and of stories where even the best of authors have found themselves ‘frozen at the typewriter’ and have become literally, lost for words. Writers block could last for days, weeks and even months.

In today’s permanently on line world of web sites, blogs, tweeter, SMS and Facebook the demand for a constant engagement and contribution questions whether writer’s block is now acceptable. Any slow down or lack of contribution no matter small can now often result in the new online readers simply moving elsewhere for their instant fix. Will authors find themselves now under increased pressure not just to write the book, contribute to the web site, answer fan mail, but also tweet and blog?

After writing close on 2000 articles we stopped this week. It wasn’t that there wasn’t news, there was plenty on Google’s ebookstore, Amazon’s cloud, Kobo’s social twist and others. It was a combination of factors which collectively demanded a stop for a breath of fresh air and then again there is Christmas shopping, painting and a party to think about.

Given it was a Saturday we thought it safe to drop our guard and writ e about our current blockage. Of course it doesn’t really matter if we write or not as we do it to understand and galvanise our thinking and share it with others. However we wonder how authors will manage in the world that demands instant and constant feeds and will the Stephen Fry multi threaded model prevail for all?