This is a weird one

Normally the trouble people have with writing is they don't know what to say. They don't know how to start. Their brain goes blank as they look at the blank expanse of the page or the computer screen. Then they start thinking that whatever they might have to say can't possibly be worth the effort and nobody will read it anyways, and that's the kiss of death.

That has rarely happened to me. On the contrary, there are usually just enough thoughts flying through my head that to pick them out and write them down is usually quite easy. A rant, current affairs, discussion of photos or photography, or the ordeals of training or racing, or what I'm reading, or watching lately, or whatever. Regular readers of my blog know they never know what to expect. Often the blog almost writes itself, and it's fast and easy.

Except when it isn't. I've been struggling with a pair of related blogs for a few days now, not really getting anywhere. They are a tangled mess. It started as one, then I realized it was veering into another blog, so I backed up and copied part of it into the start of another blog. I'm finding I can't think about just the one. It may well be there is a third one that needs to be teased out.

It's also screwing me up for working on the novels. I keep thinking about some interesting bits that really ought to go in just there, but when I go to do so, I start thinking about something else, like the blog. Like, why there has been not one word about a secondary character's mother. Except I had an idea about that the other day, that tantalizes me with the potential tie ins to something else, expanding the story. Except I need to simplify the main thread of the story if I want to have any hope of not hopelessly confusing the (potential) reader.

And, to my frustration, it's the same with photos. There are lots of lovely photos to blog, but they don't seem to go together (my buddy Sean is sniggering) and I don't see what writing goes with them. I had at least two more stories to go with at least some of them, and that isn't going together either. My brain is a jumble of Jenga blocks.

I'm not sure why all this confusion is happening. It's like a guy trying to listen to two different genres of music, while trying to read, and having someone discussing current affairs, all while a cat wants to be fed.

During a video call with a team mate last week I noticed she had a whiteboard on her office wall. She moved the camera, and there's actually two of them. In all my offices I've required a whiteboard to help me think. Maybe that's what I need, a whiteboard to sketch out the tangled blog posts. Somehow, doing it on paper isn't the same.

Never fear, this will sort itself out. There will be more text, and more photos. Just later. Maybe tomorrow. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned.