When I go through bouts of writer's block, my fingers stiffen,
and my brain goes as blank as the snowy screen of a television
on the fritz.
I don't know about you, but I picture writer's block as something
coldlike the frozen engine of a car in the dead of winter,
or the way your PC sometimes "freezes up" on you when your system
gets too busy.
Looking at it that way actually helps to overcome it. Rather than
feeling like you are grasping at fog, visualizing writer's block as
something three-dimensional can provide you with both the strength to
confront it, and the weapons to conquer it.
How can you thaw your writer's block of ice? Try any or all of
the following:
1. Chip away at it. No need to write "War and Peace" in one sitting;
Tolstoy certainly didn't. Fifteen minutes a day are all you need
to give your writing dream some life and structure. Use them to
write anything, anything at allas many article ideas as you can
think of, a synopsis of a story idea, a climactic scene in your
novel, a limerick, a character sketch, step by step instructions
for making the perfect omelet or what you would do if you won the
lottery.
Have some fun with these 15-minute exercises, and you'll probably
rediscover the truth in the adage that "time flies" when you do.
2. Light a match to it. By this I mean, don't think about the fact
that you are not currently writing; rather, think about why you ever
wanted to be a writer in the first place. Better yet, write about
why you want to be a writer. Do you have stories burning inside you
that need to be told? Or do you see writing as your key to personal
fulfillment or freedom? Melt away writer's block by reigniting your
passion for writingthe old daydreams, the past feelings of triumph
or accomplishment when you finished a piece of work.
3. Carve a sculpture out of it. If you simply can't break it down or
melt it away, make something from your writer's block of ice. As I
did above, write about how you feel when you experience writer's
block, or what you think writer's block looks like. Maybe look for
humor in it ("What did one writer's block say to the other?" "Nothing-
-it couldn't find the right words!" Okay, that's a bit lame, but you
get the idea).
Whenever writer's block tries to come between you and your writing
aspirations, don't try to avoid it. Instead, face it head on. Play
with it, laugh at it, scoff at it, or befriend it. Make it something
that you can take into your hands and deal with.
Turn it into one more tool that you can use to achieve your writing
success.
About the Author
Mary Anne Hahn is editor and publisher of "WriteSuccess,"
THE biweekly ezine of ideas, information and inspiration for writers.
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