So today's assignment in MWHH is to identify our gremlin. I knew this part of the class was coming and didn't relish its arrival. Not because I don't think it's a good idea to know who and what our gremlin is. It's just that because it portrays struggle and perhaps some nasty ugliness did I really want to confront it if I didn't have to?
Well the answer to that is of course - only if I want to be a productive and happy writer. So there's my answer and I took on the task.
Cynthia recommended a 15-minute free writing exercise, whereby I should identify my gremlin, discover its characteristics and even give it a name - become more familiar and intimate with it. I scratched my head on this one for about 5 or so minutes, then it began to come to me in a flood. I'm not going to rewrite the exercise here, but I will say that shame, embarrassment, and a bit of impostor fear is at the heart of my gremlin. So I've named him Shameus. A right good Irish name at that, eh? It's a good name for my gremlin and fits quite well.
I was really flying along with writing and identifying it and was able to write for about 20 minutes before I had to leave for an appointment. I feel like I could write more about Shameus and how he affects me and my writing, and probably other areas of my life. I'll squeeze in a little more writing late tonight.