The ancient Greeks had a word: Akrasia.

Discussed at length by Socrates (and recorded by Plato), it describes the act of knowing that a certain course or action is best, but shying away from taking it anyway.

In other words, writer’s block in a nutshell.

I know I do my best writing when I’m…well….writing. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but seriously, once I force myself (and some days, it does feel like that) to sit down and put my fingers on that keyboard, it all starts going and I’ve had some great things flow out when I’d stood there mere minutes before thinking, “I got nothin’. Nothin’.”

I’m a week from a solid deadline, I’m still feeling like this just isn’t going to work when I’m not writing.  I tell myself I need to write, need to write, need to write and I simultaneously tell myself I won’t be able to write, won’t be able to write, won’t be able to write.

And then I sit down, and I start, and I keep going, and it works itself out. Every. Single. Time.

So why do the dance at all? Why second guess myself? Or put it off? Why not just do it?

Akrasia, ladies and gentlemen.

Get stuffed, Socrates. I gotta write.