Brothers & Sisters & Writing & Dating

My number one favorite TV show is Brothers & Sisters. In last night's season finale, I guessed incorrectly about who they were going to kill. Well, in fairness to myself, my second guess was correct, but my first one wasn't. I kind of wish I hadn't been right because i liked the one they knocked off better than the one they didn't. 

I understand as a writer myself, that an engaging story almost always means dragging your characters through all kinds of rough terrains in order to capture the attention of the reader. Television characters are no different. Each episode is like a chapter in a book. I get involved with them, just as I would a good novel.  It's often hard for me not to shout at the television--address characters and writers about things i feel they should know. "Don't do it, Robert!!! It will backfire on you in a really bad way!" ,,, "Kevin, you're a wonderful person no matter what your stupid father might have done." 

As I've watched the character of Justin struggle with meaning in his life, I also feel compelled to offer some advice--I mean if he was my friend, this is what I'd tell him... (really, the advice is to the writers--whenever they decide they've tortured him enough and want the problem solved, here it is): Instead of wasting all those years of his life and enduring all that stress on himself and his new marriage, and all that money wasted by going to medical school to become a doctor--and instead of going to Haiti where he feels he can do some real good immediately--and instead of going back to that damn war where he's already served two tours---why not just give him the idea to go to paramedic school? Being a medic is where he shines. And he could have that (almost) instant gratification, be in the trenches, so to speak, helping people every day, and it wouldn't put financial pressure on his new marriage with Rebecca, wouldn't cause him to be away from her for a year, and would satisfy his need to heal others in emergency situations.


My suggestion is that he'll have that realization in the next season opener when we see what he does at the scene of that awful accident that took out his brother in law, Robert. He will be the hero, saving lives and offering comfort....and a paramedic will take notice of him there and make the obvious suggestion that he should be doing that kind of emergency medicine.

Anyway. Just a thought in my head as i woke up today. Now if I could figure out why I can't solve my own problem of this writing dearth. This is the longest I've gone without writing. When i say writing, I mean, working on one of my books. 

It coincided with meeting a woman I have actually gone through 17 dates with. (The 17 Dates Method, as developed by my best friend and fellow author, Justice Harlow). We're still dating, and I think it worked beautifully in giving us a clear idea of who we each are. It's really the only major change in my life lately, so I can only guess my lack of desire to write is predicated on that. While I am thoroughly enjoying this budding relationship, I am NOT enjoying my inability to write. It's not something I'm okay with, and it's not something that happens very often. Maybe once every ten years. It's a little frightening...like my brain isn't working anymore. I can't get it to function as it used to. I feel stupid all the time. And no, I'm not in love. Not that it's not possible, but i don't fall in love easily. No, it's not the love-thing. Maybe it's the sex-thing. Maybe just having those chemicals roused into action after so long...it's the only thing i can think of that might be making me this useless.

Anyway. I continue to wring my hands about my dry spell. I am fond of saying that i don't suffer from writer's block, it suffers from me. And perhaps that's still true. It doesn't seem that i CAN'T write (as this blog might testify) but that i don't FEEL like it. I'm unmotivated. I would like it very much if I could get my writing brain back, and still enjoy the affections and company of this woman. I want to have my cake and eat it too. All of it. With a tall glass of cold organic milk.

Brothers & Sisters & Writing & Dating