Writer’s crap:
Derived from writer’s cramp, writer’s crap refers to a stage when one is only capable of writing utter crap.
Writer’s crap is distinguished from writer’s block by the existence of a work product. Writer’s block is a paralytic condition originating deep in the amygdala and extending outward to the somatic nervous system, a condition that short circuits motor neurons whenever the writer is in the presence of a keyboard preventing the output of text. Oddly, when the keyboard is set to provide intermittent variable rewards, the writer has access to limited keyboarding functions. Spider Solitaire is a piece of cake. Vampire Wars on Facebook, twittering, tweets and re-tweets — all are possible. But arranging words on a page seems to be beyond the blocked writer’s capabilities. Some blame the neurons in the frontal cortex, which is responsible for planning behavior, or in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is associated with cognitive control. According to the New York Times (in the article linked above), “Whatever the explanation, consistently doing any activity that requires self-control seems to increase willpower — and the ability to resist impulses and delay gratification is highly associated with success in life.”
Which explains a lot, really.
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