I was staring at a blank screen, tapping out sentences that I immediately deleted, fighting every word that tried to make the perilous journey from brain to keyboard. It was hopeless. I couldn't write. Ideas disintegrated, narrative became clumsy, dialogue absurdly laboured. At last in frustration, I got up and walked away from the computer taking my notepad and pen. Suddenly the ideas were flowing faster than I could get them down. My pen nib was at breaking point as I scrawled down a story plan, trying to capture all the key points before they vanished.
It added poignancy to the report on the BBC news site last week suggesting that some people favour old fashioned typewriters as they force a writer to focus so much more. The lack of an easy delete, or a swift peek at the internet, or the emails, or a You Tube video, means the ideas box finally creaks fully open and the brain is allowed to focus on that one task.
Maybe I need to restart my internet diet, turn off the radio, close the curtains, and pretend my worn out Comfort Curve keyboard is an old style Brother. While I'm at it, I might see if I can find a sturdy prop for my ideas box. Mine keeps slamming shut just as I'm reaching in.
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