Swimming through

A song we used to sing at Girl Scout camp popped into my head yesterday.

Gathered around the campfire, cross-legged on our sit-upons, we’d follow our camp counselor on a melodic, metaphorical journey. We’d encounter obstacle after obstacle in the story-song like good stories do. We’d come across a river, mud, sand, etc. Each time, we’d all sing:

“Can’t go under it. Can’t go over it. So I’ll go right through it to get to the other side” with enthusiastic pantomiming of swimming, stomping, digging through mud, etc.

At least that’s how I remember it.

It occurred to me that’s sometimes how I feel smack in the middle of a novel or whatever I’m writing. I encounter an obstacle. I reach a challenge and I can’t see a way out. I feel stuck. I feel the block.

But I’ve discovered that to get out, sometimes I just write my way through it. I just keep writing. Even if the words don’t feel perfect. Even when I’m void of inspiration. Even when I worry it sucks.

Like the song says, “Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. So I just write through to get to the other side.”

I hope you all find a way to write your way through.  

Write on, writer friends!