Astute SoSG readers may have noticed that Steve Sax has not posted for five days now. The truth is, like Nomar Garciaparra, I'm on the DL. And man, is it frustrating. As I wrote on Sax: Return to DL is Frustrating at MLBbloggers.com:
I was just starting to feel pretty good in my role as anonymous blogger. Posts were starting to structure and flow for me the way I wanted. My Game Thread postings were attracting 250-300 comments each game. I was trying to help the blog. That's all I cared about. Then this happened.
As soon as it happened, I knew I had a case of writer's block. When I tried to type up a post this weekend on how AT&T Park has been fumigated to remove every lingering odor of Barry Bonds, I felt it right away. I stopped and had a glass of wine to see if I could break through the writer's block. Ideally, I wanted to get through the rest of the post and then take a nap. I tried to shake it off, but I couldn't. At that point, I knew I was in trouble.
It doesn't matter if I hurt myself on an innocent sarcasm-free post or a incisive, biting criticism of management. It's still a devastating thing. When it first happened, I didn't want to talk to anybody about it. I had worked so hard to get back to regular postings, then to have something like this just put me right back on the DL--it was just too frustrating.
This injury seems similar to a procrastination tendency I had in college around term paper time, from which it would take about one spring break to get back (we were on the quarter system). Every time it happes it can be different, though, so you never know. I don't know how long it will take this time. Last year, once I came back to SoSG posting after having a child, the time off didn't really bother me. I was all right. Time will tell now how difficult overcoming writer's block will be this time.
I didn't feel any worse the day after the injury than I thought I might. That's good. On the other hand, it never feels great when you have trouble writing. I don't have my normal 85 wpm typing pace or anything. The first order will be to rest to get the creative juices flowing again.
When you do come back from a writer's block injury, you try not to protect yourself from reading other blogs or think about posting subconsciously. But sometimes your body does that instinctively. That's why sometimes you see a blogger at a cafe suddenly start drumming his or her fingers on the table. Everything is connected (especially with a laptop and wi-fi access).
The plan for me now is to stay back, take it easy, and just slowly work my way back into regular posting on SoSG. That way, I can get rejuvenated about blogging again and do other things that I need to do (like my day job).
As for blogging activity, I can obviously post, but I think I will probably be less funny or bitter than I normally am for a week, at least. It's not about putting any stress on my wrists for fear of contracting carpal tunnel. The first order of the rehab process is rest, then watching a game or two on television with a beer in hand, and then you build your blogging strength back up.It's an unfair statement to say that I too am extremely frustrated to be back on the blogger's disabled list.
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