"But what should I write?"

The chef wanders into his kitchen, scratching his head.

What in the world should I make?

He peruses the cupboards, the refrigerator, and even the freezer, looking for ideas on what to make for his next meal.  It doesn't matter if he's creating something for himself or maybe for his significant other or even a group of close friends.

Now, one would say that he should've prepared more, that he should've written down a list of meals to make.  Well, he did that.  Yet when it comes to actually cook something, the creative juices still need to flow.

Okay, maybe another trip to the market.  Then I will surely get more ideas.

He spots an ingredient here and there, and finally a meal starts to form in his mind.

The same goes with writers.  No matter how much planning we do (and lately I've been doing more and more, to be honest), there is still the act of sitting down and doing the work, creating the story.  You think about books you read or movies you saw, drawing on any ounce of inspiration where you can get it.

Writer's block is a real thing . . . if you let it.  I may experience a temporary writer's block, but I don't call it that.  I call it searching . . . firing the synapses in order to connect a few dots in my story.  I never call it writer's block.

If you need ideas on what to write--or even how to write it--look around.  Think of similar stories.  But in the end, write something.  You can always delete it using the digital eraser.  That's why it was invented.

Sometimes I think writers use the excuse of writer's block when in the end it's called laziness.  You'll never see a truck driver hop in his cab and say, "Damn, I can't inspire myself to drive today.  I guess I'll go back and take a nap."  He just gets in and drives.  Writers just need to write.

So do it.  Right now.

The world is waiting.