Filak-ism: A random observation, borrowed idea from a movie/song/TV show/book, odd concept or weird phrase that has been warped in the mind of Dr. Vince Filak for broader application within journalism situations.

Trying to write is sometimes like grabbing Jell-O. You have a big handful of this wobbly, slippery, messy stuff that you want to enjoy and consume. However, you suddenly worry that it’s slipping away from you, so you start gripping it tighter and tighter. Instead of feeling more confident that you’re holding on at that point, the stuff starts squishing through your fingers, sliding away from your grip and generally escaping your grasp. The instinct to grab it more tightly kicks in and eventually you have a clenched fist and almost nothing inside.

Deadlines, personal investment in the piece and a fear of writer’s block can freak you out to the point where you want to hold on so much you end up losing everything during that panic. Best advice I have is to treat each piece you write like a handful of Jell-O: Relax your grip, do your best to balance things out and don’t worry so much about losing little bits of your work. Don’t grip it so tight or you’ll lose it all in the process.