As I remember it, in a class I took with Josh Ritter, he said, I don’t believe in writer’s block, but I do believe in dry spells. Dry spells happen, and I think they happen in every profession.
At the restaurant I earn my money in, there are days I feel great about my work. And there are days I feel bad about it as well.
There are days I start off feeling great about the work and by the end it changes. There are also days I start off feeling awful about the work, and by the end, it changes.
For a writer, (or any person who is their own boss), there’s a temptation to think there’s a choice to show up or not. If a person has a boss, they show up and do the work when they’re scheduled because it’s how they keep the job. There’s an axiom which says early is on time, on time is late, and if you are late, you’re fired. Which is to say, lots of people view work for the perspective of a hammer looking for a nail; It’s something you do whether you want to or not.
A different way frame could be:
When you show up you never know what will happen.
Sooner or later the dry spell ends.
And it will end while doing the work.
It never ends otherwise.
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