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Writer’s Block Rx
By Deb Gallardo
Today’s “guest author” is Karen Hodges Miller,who has an article entitled “Writer’s Block – Is There a Cure?” at sellingbooks.com Unlike many working writers who “pooh-pooh” the very existence of writer’s block, Karen not only acknowledges that it exists, but has been afflicted with it herself. See if her description resonates with you:
“The symptoms of Writer’s Block are easy to identify. You sit at your computer and nothing happens. Unlike the day or week before when words flowed easily from your mind to the computer screen, now there is nothing. If you do manage to write a few sentences you are sure they are no good. They don’t express your thoughts or ideas, the grammar is terrible, the structure is poor. There is no grace or creativity in your words.”
See what I mean? She’s been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove that she sometimes suffers from writer’s block. The good news is, she has learned to get through it and move on. So if a working writer can move beyond writer’s block, you can too. It doesn’t have to go on for years.
Karen says that the best “cure” for “falling off your horse” is to get back on. Acknowledging that this is easier said than done, she suggests four “treatments” to effect a cure.
- If you don’t already have a deadline, set one for yourself. (I would add a real consequence if you don’t meet your own deadline, like you can’t buy those cute shoes you’ve been eyeing, or no Starbucks® for a week — something that will cause you some significant “pain.” If an editor is expecting your work, you don’t need another consequence.)
- Get more information, even if you’re writing fiction. Sometimes all you need is a telling detail that will spark your imagination.
- Visit your favorite search engine to discover what other writers have said about your topic, or how other novelists have approached your subject.
- Take a break and get away from your writing by doing another task, preferably far from your keyboard. Ms. Hodges Miller gives one caveat here. You need to have written something already, so that when you come back you can look at your writing with a fresh eye. This means, when you’re struggling, don’t delete what you’ve written. If you’ve started over multiple times, make certain you keep all your drafts. You never know when something you’ve written, that at the time seemed like bird doo-doo, will lead to a flash of brilliance later on.
Read Writer’s Block – Is There a Cure? (opens in new window)
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- Writer’s Block – Thinking Through It
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