[i]This time it’s going to be different.[/i]

That’s what you tell yourself.

You barely notice the notification in your e-mail as you scrolled by. Another writing competition this weekend. A surge of creativity and excitement that briefly resonates through your mind. A million different ideas spin and whirl in your brain, brilliant flashes of literary genius that you cannot wait to put on paper.

[i]This time I’ll write something great![/i]

The week passes quickly, work and school burning through the time.

It’s Thursday.

The discussion thread is alive and well with comments by the other various authors.

[i]I can’t wait to discuss with these guys![/i]

You submit your prompt. It sounds great. You haven’t really brainstormed a complete idea yet, but you’ll figure it out.  There’s still another day after all.

It’s Friday.  You get up for work and check the site. Writing opened at 12:00am in the morning and lasts 24 hours. You can’t start yet though.

[i]As soon as I get home from work.[/i]

Work ends and you rush home. You open your apartment door, hang up your coat and sit down. 

[i]As soon as I finish dinner.[/i]

You heat up some leftovers for dinner and force them down quickly. You throw the dishes in the sink for later and head into your bedroom. You sit down in your chair and turn on your PC, idly watching it boot. You open your word processor.

And stare at the empty page for a few minutes. You still hadn’t thought of a full story yet. The earlier creativity stalls. You open up the internet. You need some inspiration.

[i]After I watch some of these videos.[/i]

The sun dips down below the window, and soon your bedroom darkens. You open up a game.

[i]After this match.[/i]

The clock ticks from the corner of your room, but you barely hear it over the sound coming through your headphones.

Seven…

Eight…

Nine…

[i]I can rush that story in a few hour, no worries![/i]

You keep clicking, surfing through the net, reading, watching, and listening.

[i]After this…[/i]

[i]After this…[/i]

[i]After this…[/i]

You close out of what you were doing, finally putting your attention on your word processor. You look at the clock. It reads 11:17pm. You turn back to your computer, place your hands on the keyboard…

…And write nothing. That clever idea you had bits and pieces of earlier sounds stupid and forced now.

[i]What’s the point in rushing a piece of crap? I’m just wasting my time.[/i]

11:31.

You stare blankly at the monitor. The indicator curser flashes on the empty page.

[i]That prompt was stupid anyways. Mine should have won.[/i]

11:42.

[i]It’s too late now anyways.[/i]

You sit in your chair and stare at the screen.

11:58. 11:59. 12:00. 

It’s over.

The clock ticks from the corner of your room, the sound banging in your ears though your headphones. The empty page looks back at you from the monitor, the bright white screen illuminating your room.

[i]I just didn’t have enough time, oh well…[/i]

You get up from the chair, turn off the screen and head to bed.

[i]Next time it’s going to be different…[/i]

That’s what you tell yourself.