I’m still in the middle stages where I believe Writer’s Block to be a total falsehood, and then when I have bad days Writer’s Block gets blamed for everything. When I’m on the verge of becoming convinced that Writer’s Block doesn’t exist, I’m tipped ferociously back down the other side of total belief in the thing.
But regardless . . .
I
believe Writer’s Block needs to be renamed.
- I believe Writer’s Block isn’t so much this huge wall, where all the words are stopped up on one side with you on the other, as it is a self-doubting blanket suffocating you.
- I believe Writer’s Block to be you yourself, and I believe Writer’s Block is the dead feeling of creativity that needs stirring back to life.
- I believe Writer’s Block is the sinful little devil telling you that you can’t do it. You can’t write worth a hoot. You can’t tell a story with meaning and depth, a story that changes lives. You can’t. You can’t. You can’t.
- I believe Writer’s Block can be silenced. Not once and for all, 'cause we’re just humans, and it’ll come back again when you’re least expecting it. But like a harrowing nightmare can be snapped from mind by a sudden wakening, Writer’s Block can be silenced.
1.
Keep writing. No
matter how ugly your writing gets. You can only stop Writer’s Block
first by writing a relentless storm of words.
2.
Stop being a perfectionist. Writer’s Block is
a very good friend to the perfectionist. But perfectionists aren’t
allowed when you're writing first drafts. At least,
if they do come they aren't going to have a very good time. You can’t
be perfect and neither can your writing(will you come have a good cry
with me over this when we’re finished? I’ll bring the chocolate).
Your writing can only be made better, and so can you.
3.
Read. The more you read the more you fill with inspiration and word-flow,
sentence structure and character arcs, story techniques and story
worlds real and vivid. The more you read the more you’ll know how
to write a story and how NOT to write a story.
4.
Starve it. You starve it by not listening to it. And yes, you can
choose to block out the annoying voice beating your right
cerebral hemisphere senseless simply by not listening to it. How do
you not listen to it? By squeezing that voice out of your mind and writing out the words of your story as they come. Focus, really
focus, on what you’re writing. When you’re lapsing into a far off
distance, forgetting about what you’re doing, and the little voice comes
in to tell you it’s too hard--reread the sentence you just wrote.
Ignore the voice and get back on track, remember what you’re doing,
what you’re writing, what you want.
5.
Name it. Most people are afraid of things they don’t have a
name for or something they don’t understand. Once you name your
Writer’s Block, once you understand what it is, it’s all the
easier to not be afraid of it, all the easier to understand it. Some
people call it the Inner Editor who sits on your shoulder pointing
out all your mistakes. I believe the only thing stopping me is myself
and my doubt. This is what I understand it to be. I don't have a name
for it per se, but I know what it is and I understand it. That's the
important thing. The better you understand it the easier it will be
to stop it.
It
gets easier to ignore Writer’s Block. When you get a routine going,
ignoring Writer’s Block becomes a routine, too. But then comes the
day when the breakfast burns and everything you need to do is piled
up on the kitchen counter, and there are long weeds in the rock
garden, and the neighbors are watching you all suspicious-like and
commenting about how long it’s been since they’ve seen you alive,
and you’ve just got to go to the grocery store, or take your little
brother to CAP or swimming lessons, and when you finally have time to
write—there’s nothing there.
Those
days you totally believe in the existence of Writer’s Block. But
those days you just have to write something. If you don’t, that
means you've lost and everyone but you won. Those days are around,
lurking outside the gloriousness of having written.
Want more? This post is an excerpt from my free e-book. Outlining Your Book For NaNoWriMo is for pantsers and planners alike, whether you're doing NaNoWriMo or want to strike out on your own courageous noveling adventure! Click here to sign-up and receive your copy free!Let's talk! Do you think Writer's Block exists? What are you biggest struggles with finding time to write and keeping Writer's Block at bay?
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