Always carry a notepad

Why carry a notepad?  That's so old fashioned these days, right?  Wrong!  Of course, a smart phone is useful and can be used for notes and/or writing.  I use mine all the time.

There's something to be said for a pad and pen vs a screen!  When I use a screen, I write differently.  When I use pad and paper, I write differently.  For shorter forms, I like paper and pen.  For longer forms, I usually like using a computer.  My smartphone, I use that for surfing for ideas, making reminders and making notes for writing.

I guess I like the way ink looks on paper.  It's fun to doodle.  It's a very real experience to write in pen and while you're writing to cross out a word, scribble out a sentence and start from scratch.  Not quite the same as deleting text. I supposed this is my editing process.

Still, it's good to be free from dependency on the screen or at least give yourself another creative option.  Have a good idea and your smart phone battery is dead or dying?  If you carry a notepad then you can use that pen, use that paper!  Your idea won't be lost because you forgot to plug in or your smart phone ran out of juice.

A writer always writes - even if you don't write something anyone else will ever read.  Make sure you have the means to keep writing ... always!

A Book within a Book

It's fun to read books within books.  The story lines are unique.  It can be like putting together a reader's puzzle of sorts.

A story within a story.  Ones that come to mind for me are "The Neverending Story" and "The Princess Bride."  Of course, there are certainly more.

Those are fairly easy to keep straight - the present day story vs the other story.  Sometimes, though, it can be a challenge trying to figure out what's what.

That's where descriptive dialogue and good character development come in handy.  And some good editing, too!

I've been keeping a journal about writing and not writing and it could read like a book (I have no plans to submit it ... ever!).  My story within my journal is simply another story for some other time.

The End
:)

The Simple Solution

I recently visited the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.  There are 3 buildings, the Jefferson, the Madison and the Adams, that make up the LOC.  Probably the best known is the Jefferson.

There's an underground tunnel from the Jefferson building that leads to the Visitor Center for the US Capitol building.  After visiting the new Visitor Center, I went through the tunnel and into the Jefferson building.

During this visit, I discovered all the media displays - there's a room devoted to comedic legend Bob Hope and other displays such as the Thomas Jefferson library.  You can view the incredible architecture leading up to the viewing area for the reading room.  Only a certain few get to read or research in the reading room.  Have I been in there?  Yes.  I was with a Researcher friend at the time.

One of my favorite parts of the Jefferson building is the gift shop.  Maybe I like gift shops, maybe I don't but this one has all sorts of unusual things for sale.  The last time I was there, I picked up a small booklet designed for writers, designed for fending off writers block.  What it really is, is a small bound journal.  It has a small pocket in the back for notes or keepsakes and certain parts of the paper are perforated for tearing out the sheets.

I do use it.  I do write a sentence or two in it about every day.  Has it helped me with writer's block?  Not so much, I don't usually suffer from that because I'm usually writing something, anything in the capacities I work in as a writer nearly every day.

I did come to this conclusion:  to stop writer's block, why it's simple!  To stop writer's block, just stop writing, don't be a writer!

There, the secret is out, the cure is easy.  Stop writing as a writer?  Not hardly!

Keep writing, keep reading, keep jotting those notes down, those words when you feel it, see it, dream it, but just keep writing.

Hi I'm LB Sedlacek

Hi, I'm LB Sedlacek

I'm typing this on a train - this is going to be the beginning of my YouTube Channel.  Why a YT channel?  Why would anyone want to see me reading my poetry?

Why not!

Actually my budding filmographer thinks I need one.  I prefer to write poetry.  But poetry readings and slams are quite popular too.

So check back here for the link, when the channel is up and ready.  And if you're reading this or watching this, here's my impromptu poem composition ....for the YT channel ....on the train


A Train Poem
By LB Sedlacek

There's hot chocolate, hot tea or coffee
Pepsi too - the drink of the Carolinas
And that's where we're heading
Past the Potomac River
Through the hills of Virginia
On this bright sunny day
But we are cool and comfortable
On the train, this train
Our car between the Luggage car
And the Snack car
The Cafe Car menu glares at
Me from the seat back in front
I have the foot rest down
My seat back and my complementary
Pillow riding on the gently rolling
Train scooting down well-worn tracks
We always miss the train ride when it ends
Our destination may arrive too soon!

Hope you enjoyed this quick composition!
Back to riding the train.

I'm LB Sedlacek.

Writer's Block is Not an Option!

If you're a writer, you've heard of writer's block and most likely have experienced it.  But what if you want to have writer's block?

That's unheard of, right?

I sometimes get tired of writing.  I get mad at writing - a difficult thing to do because I'd rather write just about anything than to have to say it.  I'd rather read than talk and I like to read most anything on any format doesn't matter where and yes I read billboards.

I self impose a writer's block of sorts on myself all the time because I want to give myself an excuse, albeit not a very good one, to not write for awhile.  I write poetry, fiction, business writing, advertising, memoir materials all the time.  I'm never not writing, bad grammar here in the sentence and all.  Sometimes, though, I wonder is it worth it?

That's when I set up the block.  I set myself up to not write.

I must warn you, not to try this, though, if you are a writer because well ...it doesn't work!  Just this morning, I told myself no more writing, pretend you have writer's block.  Here I am tonight, writing.  I've written a couple of pages in my latest memoir.  I came up with tag lines for a marketing exercise for a group that needs slogans.

I can't not write.  I have to write.  Like the famous quote by Rilke, "confess to yourself that you would have to die if you were forbidden to write."

Apparently, writer's block for me is not an option!