I read a picture book–Ike’s Incredible Ink, by Brianne Farley–with my son recently that reminded me so much of this month’s challenge. The main character, Ike, wants to write a story. “He had read many incredible stories, and he felt sure he could write one of his own. He was ready to start.” But of course, when little Ike sits down at his very nice desk, in his very nice, book-lined study, he is totally blocked. He cannot think of a single thing to write about. Sound familiar? Ike tries a lot of things, to no avail. He finally becomes obsessed with creating his very own ink to write with. If only he can do this, he thinks, then inspiration will surely strike.
Ike winds up making a very special ink indeed, from shadows he pulls from beneath chairs, because they are “shady and shifty and mysterious”; from the inky-black feathers of booga birds; from the dark side of the moon (here, he embarks on a small side project: building a space ship), which is “velvety and pretty and round.” He then makes an awful mess blending it all together. But, let me tell you, Ike is pretty happy with the result. He sits back down at his desk to write.
I know what you’re thinking. The fancy ink didn’t help, did it? That’s just what writers do. We are such extravagant procrastinators. But no, Ike sits down and writes his incredible story. All about shadows, booga birds, space travel, and the mixology of truly incredible ink. The cure for writer’s block? Living! Doing things–really doing them–and taking note of it all as we go.