25 comments

Fiction Happy Inspirational

He stared at the screen; the blank paper was staring back at him. The same feeling every night; a void of thoughts, of ideas. As if the world offered no stimuli to write.

Since when was the world so predictable? Or so commonplace? Or so uninteresting? He couldn’t tell. His last book was a best seller. But that was it. After that, nothing. No inspiration, no motivation, call it whatever you like.

“It went to your head,” a friend told him. No, no, that wasn’t true. Of course, he felt proud. But up to a point. He had self-control, self-discipline and was a modest man. But then why this punishment?

He continued to stare at the blank screen every night. He put pressure on himself. “Write!” “Just a line!” “Only a word, to start with!” But nothing, the page remained blank, and kept staring, sad.

The hours became days. The days became weeks. And the weeks became months. Nothing seemed to reverse the situation. “It’s called writer’s block,” another friend told him and looked at him sympathetically. Is there a remedy for this condition? He didn’t think so. His friend would have told him. That’s what friends are for. All he could do was wait. Be watchful for an opportunity. Something to stimulate his imagination.

So he went on living, existing, almost vegetating. To become a published author was a dream come true. But nobody had warned him for the consequences, the shortcomings. The pain of the failure to move on.

He wasn’t interested in eating, or getting dressed, or meeting his friends. All he wanted was a brilliant idea. He wanted to feel the eagerness to fill the blank pages again. The thrills of writing.

He couldn’t do, and didn’t want to do, anything else. That was his vocation, the reason he was brought to life. He felt it deep in his heart. But he couldn’t explain this block, this emptiness in his head. “There must be something I can do about it,” he thought but no idea came to his mind.

Almost a year passed, and the page remained empty. Like his heart, like his head, like his soulless body. Like his life. Nothing mattered more than writing to him.

***********************************

It was spring time. Everyone was in a good mood, except for him. He tried to persuade himself that he would be better, more productive, more fulfilling. All he had to do was wait a little more. Be more patient, and be on the lookout for writing opportunities. But he didn’t have the stamina to go on like that. He was utterly disappointed.

He was invited to celebrate the beginning of the new season with his friends at a restaurant. He couldn’t refuse, not again. He had to go. So he had a shower and a shave, got dressed and left for the restaurant.

On the way he admired the city lights and shop windows. The city at its best. He let a sad smile out. If only he were in a festive mood! If only he could feel alive again! But it seemed impossible.

He saw her as soon as he got in. She was sitting near the window, chatting away and looking out from time to time. She was so beautiful in her lovely red dress, and it was spring time. “There’s a sign,” he thought to himself. “A sign for a new beginning.” He could feel it. Although she wasn’t looking at him, he felt her attention on him. Was it sixth sense? Was it intuition? He felt her eyes examining his presence.

He fell for her instantly. Blood flew in his veins again, his heart started to beat. He wanted to talk to her, to learn everything about her, and to give her a peck on the cheek for good luck. But the place was so crowded it was almost impossible. Almost.

“Tonight nothing seems impossible,” he thought.

“The word itself says I’m possible,” that night seemed to say laughingly, like another Audrey Hepburn. Well, that night everything seemed possible.

Fireworks started, which meant the new season had already started too. Everybody hugged and kissed and laughed happily. So was he. And so was she. For the first time after a long time, he laughed. Wholeheartedly. He smiled at her and, what a surprise, she smiled back!

Her smile was imprinted in his memory. He would never forget that genuine, innocent, childlike smile. And he would never forget her face, too. She had given him a new lease on life. She was unaware of how much she meant to him, and that was the beauty of it all. 

He didn’t try to approach her. He didn’t even try to get her phone number. He believed in destiny. They would be together if it was meant to be. He trusted fate. Maybe she was the muse he was searching for. Maybe she was his soulmate. Only time will tell. He had no doubt about it. He would wait for her. And he was sure she would wait for him.

He returned to his apartment, over the moon. “Yes, now I know what to write,” he said to himself and turned on his laptop. He had found his inspiration back. He looked at the blank paper which was staring at him. But this time it was smiling. As if it was aware of everything that had happened that night.

He started to write. Words flew from his mind onto the screen. He filled pages and pages, and refused to stop until it was all over. He didn’t care to eat, or drink. He just wrote. He would write until the result was perfect. Immaculate. He wouldn’t settle for anything else. Only the best result. He wanted to put everything he had in his mind on that screen.

His friend called him on his smartphone.

“What are you doing?”

“Guess what. I’m writing!” he told him excitedly.

“Oh really? That’s great news! What are you writing about?

“I’m writing about love. Love at first sight. Unconditional love.”


March 20, 2021 22:44

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25 comments

A.G. Looney
17:34 Mar 29, 2021

I love this so much! Great job, I can't wait to read all of your stories!

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Vanessa Queens
18:11 Mar 29, 2021

Thank u, A.G. I will read yours too :)

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03:23 Apr 06, 2021

I’ve now read two of your submissions and I really like your writing style ❤️ It’s easy to read and relatable

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Vanessa Queens
04:17 Apr 06, 2021

Thank you very much Andrea.

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Mark Salmo
13:08 Apr 01, 2021

I love this short story. It is amazing. I guess I have spotted a grammatical mistake though. I have read that beginning you sentence by "and", "but", "or" is wrong. I am not sure, but I needed to draw your attention to it. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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Vanessa Queens
14:51 Apr 01, 2021

Thank you for your kind comment, Mark. I googled your question, and i found out that we can begin a sentence with "and", "but", "or".

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Mark Salmo
08:32 Apr 03, 2021

Oh thank you for correcting me then!!!

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Mark Salmo
08:32 Apr 03, 2021

Oh thank you for correcting me then!!!

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Zemblanity S
18:12 Mar 29, 2021

You did such a good job! You are an amazing writer with words that inspire! (Hey that kinda rhymed ;)

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Vanessa Queens
18:48 Mar 29, 2021

Thank u so much! I'm sure you are a great author too :)

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Angel Elle
20:48 Mar 28, 2021

This story spoke to me. Thank you. 💕

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Vanessa Queens
06:25 Mar 29, 2021

Thank you for your kind comment, Angel Elle.

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Paula Dennison
23:00 Mar 26, 2021

Your story is simplicity at it's best. The first part of your story is the character's hibernation and he is in darkness and the second part he comes out into the light and relieves his writers block. Love has set him free. The second part of the story was a surprise and quite charming. Good story.

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Vanessa Queens
23:24 Mar 26, 2021

Thank u Paula :)

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Asha Pillay
23:45 Mar 24, 2021

I like the way you write its so uncomplicated, and easy to understand.

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Vanessa Queens
07:45 Mar 25, 2021

Thank u, Asha :)

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Valerie June
21:36 Mar 23, 2021

I noticed that you checked out my newest story, “The Neverending Sisters,” so I decided to check one of your stories out. I’m so glad that I did. I could relate to the emotions so well, especially in the beginning. That’s probably one of my biggest fears as a writer: you become a bestselling author for a novel and then you go blank. People expect for your next masterpiece to be just as good or even better as your first one. I’m not even a bestselling author yet, but the thought of lacking inspiration for my second novel (if I get that far...

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Vanessa Queens
04:17 Mar 24, 2021

Thank u for your comments Jose. :) And don't worry, you will always have inspiration. You are a brilliant author.

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Valerie June
04:44 Mar 24, 2021

Awwww thanks!

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Leane Cornwell
19:41 Mar 23, 2021

Such a perfect blending; found inspiration when it's most needed. Nice job. Kept my interest throughout.

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Vanessa Queens
04:43 Mar 24, 2021

Thank u for your kind comments, Leane. :) I hope something like this (loss of inspiration) happens to none of us.

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Vanessa Queens
04:43 Mar 24, 2021

Thank u for your kind comments, Leane. :) I hope something like this (loss of inspiration) happens to none of us.

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Vanessa Queens
04:43 Mar 24, 2021

Thank u for your kind comments, Leane. :) I hope something like this (loss of inspiration) happens to none of us.

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Cassandra Durnin
17:33 Mar 22, 2021

Hey! Saw you were new, and decided to drop by to say hello. I really loved the uplifting, hopeful attitude of this piece, which you pulled off flawlessly. Anyway, welcome to the community! Glad to have you.

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Vanessa Queens
17:48 Mar 22, 2021

Hello Cassandra. Thank u for your wonderful comments and welcome. It's really nice to be part of this community. Have a good day.

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RBE | We made a writing app for you (photo) | 2023-02

We made a writing app for you

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