Writer's Block and Fatigue Facing Grow HubPotChallenge

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   Marie Flintposted 10 years ago

   Well, summer is fast approaching here in sunny Florida, so I've been busy clearing as much area as possible to grow an organic garden. Florida betony, by the way, has an ubiquitous root system! Today I'm feeling a little fatigued, and if any of you have casually checked my Facebook posts, you'll know why. (I just got done tackling what appears to be an internet cable.)
   
   My Love Ring quilt is nearly reading to put together, too. My signature in quilting is to sew together pieces of fabric left over from the top for the back. It's quite a process, which I will try to cover in a hub along with my sandwiching process.
   
   I'm just too busy right now to write a hub every day for the challenge. Hopefully,  this challenge will become available in the fall (what do you say, HubPages Team?)
   
   In the meantime, I appreciate hearing from my followers about things they'd like me to write, based on similar subjects that I've already written.
   
   Blessings to all, and good luck with Growing the HubPages Pot! --Marie

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      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're very impressive. Keep up the good work!

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Edit: "ready" (not reading)

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   jansharesposted 10 years ago

   Hi Marie Flint. Fatigue is a bummer, writer's block is problematic but only temporary. No one or nothing can take away your gifts. You've done good work and you can do it again for a future challenge.
   However, I suggest you don't give up just yet on the current challenge and write about how to start a quilting group. You're already an expert and I know there are women's groups out there looking for a new project for their organization. I bet it wouldn't take that long. You'd be adding the logistics of forming a work group to what you already know. I say kick writer's block in the butt and go for it. Good luck!

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, Jan. I know I don't have to start a quilter's group because there are plenty out there, but I can certainly take up that theme. Thank you for the suggestion.

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   Jodahposted 10 years ago

   Hi Mary. You have written such a diverse range of hubs that it is difficult to make suggestions of what you should tackle next. Maybe a hub about the different types of quilting techniques eg. Color wash, art quilts, patchwork etc. (my wife is a quilter). I wrote what I considered three of my best hubs at the start of the HubPotChallenge but they weren't successful, not that I expected them to be, but you have to be in it to win it. I haven't written a hub since but I was away for three days so that is the main reason. Now I too am looking for inspiration.

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I like your certificate in permaculture and see that you've one hub about that, along with some other go-green encouraging topics. Are you good with companion planting? I'm just clearing some space on the north side of the house and am hoping to plant carrots, lettuce, celery, marigold, chard, strawberries, blackberries, and already have some lettuce, broccoli, and herbs: chive, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mint, oregano, and basil planted. Which vegetables/herbs would work best together? Oh, I'm planning a "wild" section too with wildflowers-sunflower mix and probably throwing my amaranth and quinoa into it. My brother wants watermelon, so I have an idea where I will put that by itself. Can I train my winter squash to grow on a trellis? Please write a hub with suggestions to my questions. Thank you.

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         Jodahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Ok Marie, thanks for the suggestion. I'll work on that one.

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         Jodahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         As requested Marie I have written a hub about Companion Planting. Yes you can train your Winter squash to grow up a trellis, and the amaranth is helpful anywhere for aerating the soil and is full of vitamins and minerals. I think I have covered most of the others in the hub, though could easily write two or three to cover everything.

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            Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you, Jodah. I almost bought the little book offered through Amazon at your hub, but I'm not planning to grow tomatoes. Go ahead and write those extra hubs to "cover everything."
            
            Blessings!

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               Jodahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks Mary, I will. I added another Amazon capsule with a book about good and bad insects in the garden. I must have done a good job with that hub about companion planting because my hub score suddenly rose over 90 for the first time ever after publishing it. Thanks for your encouragement to write it.

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                  Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  You're welcome, Jodah. Keep writing!

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   Everyday Miraclesposted 10 years ago

   I find that habit prevents me from becoming fatigued (I write pretty much every day but am out of the running for the next few days as our furnace is broken and it's too hard to concentrate when you're freezing cold), but at the same time, I don't have much else that I do with my spare time. While I do have hobbies, Hubpages has started to show me what the promise of monthly payouts on two accounts looks like, and it's very difficult to resist stick with the effort it takes to do that.
   
   That being said, I've faced writer's block and have found that when I write seasonal hubs, I have an easier time tackling huge numbers of ideas. Right now I use Pearltrees not only to promote my hubs but also to get ideas. If you haven't tried it, sign up for Pearltrees and type a subject of interest into the search bar. The non-linear search results are really good for sparking the mind into interesting topics.
   
   If you additionally use mind-mapping to bring some topics to mind and to let one idea flow from another, I think you'll have good results with unblocking your mind and opening yourself up to different topics you could write about.
   
   The fatigue is something else, of course. I know how it feels, but have fortunately been able to mostly beat it, and I publish almost every day, as much as five times a day.

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, Everyday, you're prolific! I tend to be meticulous with my organization, grammar, etc. and have the let the material "sit" for a while before publishing it. I read the hub article over at least once after writing it, preferably twice. Then I have to see it in preview to make sure there aren't any one-word sentence lines. Sometimes, I'll have an idea, but then see how many hubs are on a similar subject and then decide not to right on that subject. I like your suggestions. Pearltrees sounds good, and brain mapping is something with which I'm familiar, but haven't really tried. Thank  you!

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   The Examiner-1posted 10 years ago

   Hi Marie,
   If you really want you could take a break. If you want to write something, then a few ideas are: do you like crafts? How about writer's block; growing an organic garden;story about Florida Betony.

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, Examiner, I'll add those to my brain-mapping list. Blessings!

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   paradigmsearchposted 10 years ago

   I'm thinking about submitting a hub about dissecting something. Don't know what, though there are a lot of cats around here. Should I include pics, or would that get the ads turned off?

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      The Examiner-1posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      How about a frog? After all, they did that in high school, so it cannot be all bad.

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         paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Was Michael Jackson an alien? Now there's a guaranteed winner hub title. I'll sell it to whoever wants it for $5. Just instruct HP to transfer the money into my account before writing the hub.

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            Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I like your idea about HP transferring the money into your account before writing the hub. They used to do that, you know, but the Apprenticeship Program has been discontinued with no known restart date in the foreseeable future. (Sigh!)

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            DrMark1961posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            If you really want viral write "The True Michael Jackson Alien Autopsy" with pictures and a video. Does HP have an accolade for 100 million?

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               Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Funny. I won't be writing about that, though.
               
               Have a wonderful day!

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                  Solarasposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  I will then, I already have the photos and video...

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                     Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     Kudos to you!

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The only living creature I ever dissected in my life, paradigm, was an earthworm. I did a live one because I didn't like the crunchy, gritty effect the formaldehyde had on the ones provided in the high-school biology class. In college, I refused to dissect the frog on the grounds that "I had an aesthetic value for them." My instructor some time later teased me about it. I still got an "A" in the class. If you dissect things, I'd prefer to see plant sections. That's just me. My dad used to do all his own butchering: steer, pig, and chicken. Meat cutting is actually a craft because you have to know what sections are prime and how to label them for the freezer. I don't know if I've helped. Blessings on whatever you choose to do.

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         paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I looked at the cat.
         
         The cat looked at me.
         
         I let him go.

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            Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            

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   HollieTposted 10 years ago

   If you want to earn money then what your fellow writers think and want is irrelevant. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's true.
   
   You will earn from people who search for the topics that you write about, your fellow hubbers will not buy products from Amazon etc and earning a few extra dollars, whilst welcome, from the new challenge will not necessarily provide income in the long term.
   
   The new organic garden sounds good, maybe you could get a couple of hubs out from different perspectives; the new gardener, experienced gardener angle, challenges and successes!
   
   What about any orphan hubs, could you expand on them in some way? You seem to have lots of interesting hubs on a diverse range of topics. Choose an orphan hub for starters and then select a very similar interest and grow the topic. Just an idea.

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No, Hollie, I don't have any orphan hubs. I categorize everything I write. I don't think I'm relying so much on other hubbers' ideas as much as feeling inspired by the input. Just responding to these comments, for example, is loosening my so-called writer's block. (I think we all tend to procrastinate once in a while.) By the way,  I did buy a fellow hubber's product, and, frankly, I see nothing wrong with supporting each other that way.
      
      I agree with you that writing for the challenge will not provide an income inn the long run. I did desire to participate, but then I realized that my deep-thinking, soul-searching, self-examining way of looking at the world doesn't necessarily result in prolific writing on topics that the masses really care to read (which is okay). It's quite feasible too that Hub Pages, as dear as it has been to me, is not the best forum for my writing. Blessings! I appreciate your input.

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         Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         "in" (editorial note)

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            Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            P.S. The thought occurred to me that the reason HubPages may be having this challenge now may be because with spring around the corner, activity may be starting to dwindle. It probably gets fairly low in the summer with the good weather and people wanting to be outdoors.

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         HollieTposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         By the way,  I did buy a fellow hubber's product, and, frankly, I see nothing wrong with supporting each other that way.
         
         Me neither, but I believe that Amazon put a stop to that some time ago,as in, you may buy the product but Amazon will no longer credit the author of the hub, sadly!

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            Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Really? Isn't that only if the author himself attempts to buy through his promotion on his own hub?
            
            If Amazon doesn't consider fellow hubbers as part of the general public, I may just stop using Amazon altogether!

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   MizBejabbersposted 10 years ago

   Marie, I find most all of your hub subjects interesting and try to read as many as my time allows. Just write from your heart and keep up the good work. I find that sometimes people just aren't interested in a writer's field of expertise. Although I'm not an attorney, I do have an expertise in certain areas in the field of law. I wrote one hub and didn't get a very good response, so I haven't written any more. It hasn't been shelved because it still gets a lot of hits, but I don't get any comments.
   Your quilting sounds like a good idea for a subject. Lots of people, including men, are interested in quilting. Happy writing to you!

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, MizB. I, for one, LOVE getting comments. If nothing else, HubPages has given me that.
      
      I will take your advice and keep writing from the heart.
      
      Blessings! And have a wonderful day!

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   paradigmsearchposted 10 years ago

   This'll fix your writer's block...
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jpAI0o79kw
   
   54 seconds.

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      Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No, I found that neither enlightening nor inspirational. I know you intended well, though. Blessings!

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    kittythedreamerposted 10 years ago

    I don't think you have to write a hub every day...my two hubs I wrote in the past week were still entered into the contest. Just a thought. Write what you can, when you can! And greetings from a fellow Floridian...and I know what you mean with the root scenario.

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       Marie Flintposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you, Kitty, that is so good to know! (Whew!)
       
       I just finished a hub, so I guess I've broken the writer's block (for now).

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