Blogger’s Block: Muse Is Missing And I Am Without Flapdoodle & Twaddle

/ Ally Bean

Two Adirondack chairs in the park, a perfect resting spot for anyone who needs to take a short breather while looking for Muse.

Where is my Muse?

I’m ashamed to say that I am without a story to share here today.

Nor do I have any research projects in process so I don’t have any little tidbits of information to toss into the blog.

I’m not feeling sad or snarky or silly, so there’s no blog post to be plumbed from those emotions.

Instead, I have blogger’s block, a specific kind of writer’s block wherein a personal blogger, such a meself, has the photo and the time to write about it, but can’t find the inspiration, the catalyst, the spark one needs to create the blog post.

There is no flapdoodle. There is no twaddle.

And I am bereft.

I place the blame for this unusual blogging situation squarely on the shoulders of Muse who has scampered off, probably to play on the swings in the park.

I’m sure you, my gentle readers, understand this situation.  Muse is, after all, a flighty thing. 😉

102 thoughts on “Blogger’s Block: Muse Is Missing And I Am Without Flapdoodle & Twaddle”

    • Jill, usually I have some blog post idea percolating in my brain so when I sit down to write I’m good to go. But not today.

      72º sounds wonderful. I bet that nice temp will lull your muse into writing a perfect proposal.

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  6. Well, I think you did just dandy coming up with something handy. See, the phenomenon hits all of us a time or two or more when we expect something better should come out of the keyboard. I hear that veggies talk, or fruit does too when it starts to ripen with age. Or maybe it smells? Oh, sorry, yeah, it smells.

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    • nance, I often have blog ideas in process, half-written somewhere, waiting to be edited. Or I have a specific thought on which to hang a blog post, but this morning I had zilch. So out of nothing came this something [?].

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  8. Well, Ally, I can relate. I have 2 posts in the blog pipeline, but not sure what comes next. Actually, I don’t need to know yet.

    You find something soon without having to stare at your belly button for inspiration!

    Liked by 1 person

    • marian, made me laugh out loud. I’ve never been an accomplished navel gazer, having found no inspiration there, ever. I’m much too literal and pragmatic, I guess.

      If you have 2 blog posts [almost?] ready to go, I’d say you’re doing great. No need to get too far ahead of yourself.

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  9. She’s extremely fickle. If it was warm where you are yesterday, like it was here, I’m sure she was off swinging. That’s good, though — she seems to gather steam to write whilst out in nature in my experience. I’m sure she’ll come back to visit you soon.

    🙂

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  10. Felt much the same way yesterday, then poof, my muse can and went in a flash, dropping off a single idea which I turned into today’s post. So I’m thinking, maybe your muse is still around but moving so fast, you wouldn’t know she is there. It happens. 🙂

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    • Almost Iowa, I like your take on this situation. I can be comfortable with a muse who’s running around fast, gathering ideas for me to ponder and write about later. That works for me. Sure.

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    • Marty, if I get out of the house and do things I am more inclined to have something to write about. Makes sense, of course. But last week kept me inside and seemed to have frozen my brain, too. Not liking this.

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  16. Sometimes we just have to write about the process of writing and that act jars something loose. I often go back to family memories, a favorite book I’ve read or film, house projects, etc. Once I ramble for a while, I can usually find my way. Or we could ask you questions? Here’s mine: Have you seen any of the Oscar nominated films? If so, which one would you prefer to win best picture? If not, what are your favorite movies?

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    • Margaret, good point. It is by talking about the process that I can come to understand it better and learn how to keep going.

      I’ve not seen any of the Oscar nominated films, which is no surprise. I rarely see a movie, in the theater or at home. I like Bull Durham and the Thin Man movies. I liked those newer StarTrek movies with Chris Pine. I just am not a film person.

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    • Betsy, tomorrow afternoon I’ll have time to get to the park. I have it in my planner already. I want to follow Muse there. It’s a great idea, especially after last week’s Polar Vortex.

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  21. Well . . . I look at it this way ~> even without flapdoodle and twaddle to get things going, your comment threads are more interesting than many blog posts out there.

    Maybe your muse will return when she sees you scraping the bottom of the blog barrel for ideas and inspiration! 😆

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    • nancy, thank you. I like your logic and am grateful to the many, many people who stop by this blog to read and comment. I never know who’ll show up, nor which way the conversation will go. I figure that’s a good thing, keeps life interesting.

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  23. Writers block – do those come in colors? Maybe the neighborhood toddlers collected them to make forts and castles? (Muses are attracted to the young as they actually listen to wild suggestions ( and get in to trouble for that) and muses are above all, very playful.)
    Ignore the muse that wandered off and start interviewing others….that usually makes them jealousy run back…besides she has so much time invested in you!

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, good idea here. Making Muse jealous might be the best way to get her back. I could start reading some improving books [as Jeeves would say] and then maybe a few inspirational tomes. I bet then Muse would find her way back to me, if for no other reason than to see what I’ve learned– and to decide how she might disrupt + disprove the book learning.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. What? We’re supposed to have a purpose to the bloggity-blog? Don’t tell anyone, but I have been doing it wrong for the better part of six years 😉
    Always nice to read you — you don’t need the muse!

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  26. Okay, as I write this there are already 61 comments on your little post. Really? A post about not having anything to say gets 61 comments? (62 with mine) I write a heartfelt page worth with pictures and links and get squat for comments. I must be doing something wrong. Perhaps if I write about nothing…

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, I hear ‘ya. Zen-Den said the same thing about how me talking about having nothing to say got attention, but me talking about something personal gets a *meh* response. It’s not fair, I know. It takes more gumption to be heartfelt than it does to moan about things not going right. Yet… 🤷‍♀️

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  28. I can relate to this Ally. Sometimes there is…nothing. Don’t force it, just be happy to take a break and enjoy a good book or something else to fill up the time. Inspiration will eventually make its way back to you.

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  29. It’s a funny old thing the blogging muse. As I decided to take a break at the end of last year I had loads of stuff in my drafts folder and thoughts I’d not even taken the time to note down. I’ve returned and somehow the idea bucket feels empty. I suspect it’s one of those energy-related things (at least with me) which can be caused by weather, illness, and multiple items of seemingly unrelated stuff.

    I like the photo of the chairs and you sharing that – even you Ally Bean – can find the Muse a-missing. It’ll be back, tail between legs, all too soon. Till then, we all seem to be happily turning up for a nothing chat anyway 😀

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    • Deb, I hear you about drafts in folders that turn out to be worthless– or a mystery about what it was I was thinking when I wrote them. I do gibberish well.

      For me I think last week’s frigid temps froze my brain solid. And then a weekend with springlike temperatures made me wonder if the Polar Vortex was a figment of my imagination. I just need to let Muse find its way back home again, once the weather gets itself all straightened out. Pick a season, stick with it.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Elen, you’ve made me realize how lenient I’ve been with Muse over the years. I do need to get this situation under control and will do so once I figure out where the heck that little trickster is hiding.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. A Muse does what a Muse does. Sadly, it’s not always what we want it to be.

    Lately my Muse has been suggesting I clean house. What the hell kind of Muse is that?! I don’t want to clean. I want to wallow.

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  32. Mine has scampered away and been gone for over a month. I’ve been at this too long to believe it gone for good, but for now, I’ve decided to instead focus on the other hobbies and projects and patiently wait for the return.

    And this post was a pleasant reminder that even to disciplined, clever writers it happens.

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    • katie, you’re right. Muse will return. Once upon a time I’d have been worried, but this late in my blogging career I’m with you. I think to myself “oh well, whatever” because I know that this is no big deal in the overall scheme of things.

      And thank you for the compliment. I’m blushing here.

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    • Thanks, Laura. I sometimes find that by complaining about something that something then goes the way I want it to go– just to show me that I was being silly for complaining about it. Which is a longwinded way of saying, Muse is back.

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  38. I get sluggish (I mean, my Muse gets sluggish) at this time of year. I’m ready for spring, but feel guilty for wanting spring because it’s only mid-February and if one lives in NH, one must expect at least a solid four months of winter. But I get cabin fever, antsy, restless. So far, I’ve been okay–but I just never know when my Muse will go on strike. So I get your conundrum. I hope you at least enjoyed the blog-less day–even though you technically blogged, so I think you still did good.

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    • Kate, sluggish is the right word for how I was feeling. I couldn’t get my brain in gear last week, just going through the motions, you know? Fortunately Muse came back over the weekend and I feel like the words/ideas/silliness are flowing again. Or at least flowing again until Muse goes off on another adventure without me.

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