Up Against the Writing Wall

Supposedly when asked about writing, Ernest Hemingway described it as the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Even if Hemingway did not say it, this kind of pragmatic approach to what he was arguably one of the best at in all of literature, certainly captured his philosphy. Sit down and do it even if what you write is not very good. I have been thinking about this quote since my recent blog entry on writer's block. To me, there is blunt wisdom in such an attitude. Words do not write themselves. Articles, books, etc. of any merit will never happen unless one forces themself to sit down and begin tranposing their thoughts into words.

For well over a year, by my modest standards, I have enjoyed a good run at writing. I have had two books published, had a third accepted by a publisher, compiled a fourth that I am currentlyh shopping around, written over one hundred blog entires, penned multiple speeches, and composed countless emails, notes, text messages, etc. But now as 2012 draws to a close, I find myself up against a writing wall. Specifically, I am at a loss as to what to write. Even more specifically,  I know the topics but I am struggling with what words to use to address them. Am I frustrated? Very much so. It is this current state that brings me back to the description of writing attributed to Hemingway.

For now, I am following his advice. Each day I sit and bang out words in the attempt of being creative, provocative, stimulating and original. At this point, even being one of those things would be great. Still, there is a big part of me that realizes that good writing often comes from failed attempts and\messy drafts. This is where I am at present. I am oh-so hopeful my struggles will suddenly ignite a return to the kind of writing rhythm that makes it an act of such great joy - when it is not being an act of great pain. The pay-off to all of this is I feel as if I have successfully communicated something to others. 

Holiday Challenge

One of the more challenging aspects of any day involving gift giving comes with those on the receiving end. While there are not too many of us who do not love being given gifts or presents, with that comes the challenge of what to do when you receive something you do not like or want.  One option is to simply accept it and not say a word. That way you do not hurt the feelings of the person who gave you the present, nor do you risk any possible conflict with them. That, at best, is only a temporary solution. At some point, the giver is going to ask "How come you never wear that Hawaiian shirt I bought you for Chrismtas?" or "Why do you never want to play that game of Hungry Hippo I bought you for your birthday?" At that point, you will have to 'fess up.'

Another option, of course, is to speak up at the time you see the gift and make it know you do not like it. This is probably the best was to go. However, the communication challenge comes with expressing your displeasure or disappointment in a way that does not hurt the feelings of the giver and also acknowledges the effort to please you they made. This is not easy to do because the bottom line is you are rejecting a selfless act that was done on your behalf. I myself have failed at this at times and so, too, have those for whom I generally buy presents. Almost always, in my experiene, this makes for an awkward moment.

Communicating rejection under any circumstance is difficult, particuarly when it is done in recognition of a special occasion such as an anniversary or birthday. It involves a level of sensitivity that perhaps many of us do not normally exhibit. Being successful at that can be a gift all by itself. The giver is vulnerable as they have taken a risk: will my spouse like this sweater or piece of jewelry? The trick is to make known your displeasure in a loving way that does not discourage future acts of such loving generosity and reaffirms your own regard for them. This is one of those everyday communication challenges faced by all of us on a regular basis.   

Lines and Boundaries

Any time I look at a map or globe, one of the things that jumps out at me most quickly are all the borders; all the lines separating one parcel of land from another. Our planet is divided into so many countries, cities, townships, neighborhoods, etc. One piece of earth ends and another begins immediately. There seems to be no gray zone any where on Earth. Everything seems to be spoken for. It is amazing that as big as our world is, there are no free zones. With this reality comes another: each parcel or section is different from the one to which it is attached or those that surround it. These differences, of course, reflect the cultures, policies and histories of those that either own or are responsible for each particular parcel.

This accents the multitude of differences that permeate our planet. Unfortunately, differences of any magnitude can and do create tension that left unaddressed can lead to hard feelings and, ultimately, hostile action between those on each side of the lines or borders. Examples of hostility range from two neighbors not speaking to each other to two or more nations going to war. None of these scenarios are good. Given the reality of our many lines and boundaries, the question then becomes: what can be done to ensure potential hostility is kept to a minimum? This is where effective communication comes into play.

When executed with respect, tranparency and purpose, communication is the best bridge building mechanism we have. It does not erase boundaries as much as it transcends them. As a tool, communication can help people identify commonalities and generate greater respect of issues and perspectives in which there may be differences. It involves talking with and not at and creating various channels in which interaction can occur. Further, effective communication helps ensure this kind of positive interactivity is ongoing. Lines and boundaries may be seeds for negative behavior, but with good-faith communication they do not have to be.    

Out Shout 'Em

The recent terrible, tragic massacre at the elementary school continues to dominate the news and public discourse. I see this as a healthy sign that maybe - just maybe - tangible steps will begin to be taken to curb and ultimately stop this kind of senseless killing that seems to be on the rise in our country.  The good news is this is a goal everyone wants. The challenge comes in reaching a consensus as to what strategies should be identified and followed to move us toward that desired end. On one end, there are those who feel more people should be armed. On the other, others advocate the opposite.

One suggested strategy is that school prinipals and teachers should be armed. The thinking here is that if an armed gunman enters a school and opens fire, then the teachers and principal will step outside their classrooms and officer and kill the intruder. End of bad guy. Order restored. Let's get on with the rest of the day. Unfortunately, real life is not always that clear-cut. There are too many unknowns and variables in the behavior of a mad man or well-meaning, yet amateur enforcers to guarantee that innocent children and adult still won't be killed. In fact, there is even a chance more innocents would die in such a scenario.

Instead of packing heat, suppose the bad guy walked up and down the hallsways with a bullhorn screaming obscenities? Would the answer be for the principals and teachers to be given portable microphones so they could stop the disruptiing intruder by out shouting him or her? In such a  scenario, it seems to me as if there would be an awful lot of shouting before anything close to normality was restored. The same is true with arming teachers and principals, only instead of shouting there would be shooting and killing. Is that what any of us really want? I urge all of us to continue this dialogue on what is a critical issue that speaks to the well being of our society. 

Violence and Communication

As I write this the nation is reeling from another act of multiple violence. A young man went into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 26 people, including 20 children and six adults.  This was after he had murdered his mother in their home. The act is gut-wrenching, maddening and as tragic as any other one can name. It may seem a statement of the obvious, but perhaps one positive note in this is that what happened has unified the nation in a collective outrage against the act itself. The multiple slaughter of so many innocent children and adults has reenforced a desire on the nation's part that steps must be taken to stop such tragedies from continung to occur.

But this is where the agreement ends. Despite a universal condemnaion of the act itself, there is wide and emotional disagreement as to what specific steps should be taken to help prevent such massacres. They range from expanding everyone's right to own and carry a firearm to banning weapons altogether to various perspectives falling into between the two extremes. Assuming for a moment that eventually some type of preventative steps will be agreed upon - and given the reality of our nation I recognize this is a a big assumption -  a key element in the debate and ultimate solution revolves around communication.

The key here is found in the killer. Our nation has experienced enough of these incidents to create a composite profile on the characteristics of persons who carry out such awful acts. While the killers, including this most recent one, are described as having histories of odd and anti-social behavior, they have also been described has having trouble connecting with others and, consequently, not had many others reach out to them. Thus, feelings of isolation dominated their persona. As communicators all of us need to be more sensitive in how we act and/or behave around others, especially those who may seem unlike us. Even so-called loners need the acceptance of others. As communication is an act of inclusion, perhaps that is one step we communicators can take when interacting with others of all stripes and persuasions.  

Writer's Block

Everyone has heard of writer's block. Even those who do not consider themselves to be writers know of it. In fact, it is very likely they may have experienced it at some point in their lives, We all have, whether it is with actual writing or another aspect of life. Everyone gets stuck, hits a wall or finds themselves in a slump that seems to prevent them from making progess or taking some type of action. In the case of writers, there are times one feels as if they cannot think of what words to write. The writer sits at their computer or typewriter, staring at the keyboard and hoping that somehow or  some way words will reappear.

Without question, those times are frustrating. If they continue too long, these unwanted stretches can be demoralizing and ignite feelings of genuine despair. Fortunately, in my case, I have never had this experience. While there have been times when I have been hard-pressed to come up with particular words I was searching for or phrases I felt would best capture what I was trying to say, I have yet to find myself in the kind of hole others have. Still, it is something I find myself thinking about as I move toward the next phase of my life where I will be writing more as a way of supplementing my income. For me, retirement approximately six months away now. It is no coincidence I am beginning to spend more time in front of my computer's keyboard.

So, what is the cure for writer's block? Does any one know? Is there a universal strategy for not only coping with it but blasting through it? Is it even possible to write when one can not even think of what to say? I suspect in the mnths to come I may possible get a taste of that. At this moment, my only suggestion for dealing with writer's block is to keep writing even if the words you put down on paper are not the ones you want. Other, more prolific and experienced writers may view my suggestion as being completely naive or far too simplistic. They are probably right. Either way, I hope to not find out the hard way.

The Overlooked Element

Perhaps the primary purpose of the organizational spokesman is to inform the public about some aspect of their client. Whether the information is benign or significant, it is a matter of passing it along to an external audience in a manner that will be favorably received and, as an off-shoot, help those same receivers of the message feel more favorably toward the client or organization. As part of that first element, generating or, at least, maintaining positive support is another key element of the spokesman's job. Make no mistake, these two components are important. There is, however, a third piece of the spokesman's job that is often overshadowed by those first two.

This third element can be summed up in one word: education. There are times when a particlar organization possesses insight or information for the public good that needs to be shared. It is not a matter of promoting themselves or looking to generate positive coverage in the local press. The information is a matter of public interest and, as a resut, overrides the publicity needs or goals of any organization. Before giving an example of this, it is important to note this reality does not usually apply to every organization. Primarily, it pertains to those whose purpose it is to supply a service of some sort to the public. Hospitals, law enforcement agencies and even the government are examples.

A specific example of this is the danger of consuming too much alcohol and then attempting to drive. It is in the public interest to be educated on the impact alcohol can have on their ability to safely drive a vehicle. Such information is of public interest. Passing it along represents a public service that is beyond any effort by an organization to promote itself or put forth talking points designed to garner greater support or enhance an image. While taking such a step to educate the public about something it should know may generate a positive reaction toward the messenger, it is far from the primary purpose. It is a matter of education for the sake of education. The organizational spokesman can play a key role in helping identify opportunities to provide such a useful service.

Lions

One would be hard-pressed to identify a more majestic looking animal than the lion. The fact it is called "the king of  beasts" speaks for itself. A world in which these creatures did not exist is  something I do not believe any of us want. Yet, according to recent news reports, this seems to be the direction in which we and lions are heading. There are reportedly less than 50,000 African lions currently alive, a total that has dropped by well over 50 percent in recent times. If nothing changes, it does not take much of an imagination to predict the future of this creature. While I understand the danger of being too close to a lion, I believe they are worth protecting.

Lions, of course, are far from the only entity that needs safeguarding. Another is civility. As defined in The American Heritage Dictionary, civility is "a courteous act or utterance." From a communication perspective, it is essential we do all we can to ensure this remains in-tact. Sure, even without it, communication will continue. That will never stop. But the difference - and this is a big one - is communication in its best form will cease to exist. Civility ensures mutual respect, good manners and helps maintain two-way communication. While interaction will continue, the lack of civility will in all likelihood mean it will be fraught with conflict, less smooth and far less amiable. Thus, positive results will be harder to come by.

Effective communication is challenging enough without participants doing all they can to be respectful, open-minded and polite. Take those elements out of the mix and what you have are people talking at each other, talking over each other, and demonstrating little interest in civil resolution. In other words, you have far too many of today's cable news shows. In its own way, civility is as majestic as the lion. I, for one, do not want a world without those creatures than I do without civility. Should either become extinct, we will be the far lesser for it.

Deadlines

With the inevitable arrival of December comes many things. They range from holiday songs filling the airwaves at most every shopping mall throughout the country and the solidifying of travel arrangements by those planning to visit relatives over the Christmas and New Year's breaks to reflections on a year that has only weeks to go before it is over and an escalation of fretting as to what presents to purchase for loved ones. These, of course, are only a few of many other examples of what is ushered in with December. As someone who teaches at a university, I see it also means crunch time for students as they begin putting the finishing touches on final projects and preparing for final exams.   

If all this and more could be summed up in one word, then that word would be "deadlines." While they are not unique to December, they do seem to take on a higher level of urgency when the end of another calendar year appears over the horizon. For professional communicators, deadlines are an occupational reality. They come with every assignment and campaign. Hardly a work day passes without mention of a looming deadline. They are viewed, at best, begrudgingly. At the same time, it is nearly impossible to find any one sad when they go away. If deadlines were people, then they would be among the least popular segment of the population on the planet.

But while deadlines may not be liked very much, professional communicators, generally, do their best to honor them each and every day. If the communicator is not meeting them, then they are working toward them. Deadlines are a constant in the communication business. It is they, as much as anything, that helps determine the success of an outreach effort. Deadlines represent timing and timing, as has  been said by many others, "is everything." They can spell the difference between success and failure or adhering to a budget or not, to cite just two of many consequences. So, with the end of 2012 now only weeks away, this entry serves as a begrudging tribute to that which impacts the lives of so many: deadlines.