How To Unblock Writer’s Block
AKA Step Away From the Computer
I don’t remember when I first heard of the dread condition of “writer’s block” but it may have been as early as junior high, when I first seriously considered becoming a writer. Thus it became part of my reality, the same way Jeep Wrangler’s only had two doors was part of my reality.
Guess what? Your reality can change. Four-door Jeep Wranglers are proof of that, at least in my world.
city planningI’ve since read several authors talk about the “myth” of writer’s block. It’s not something that has to happen to a writer. In fact some writers, such as Neil Gaiman, have said they don’t believe in writer’s block.
Granted, Mr. Gaiman cranks out story after story. If you read his journal, you also know he keeps bees, takes walks with his dog, loves his daughters and son, travels, gets sick, recovers, is dating Amanda F. Palmer and is owned by several cats. His reality doesn’t have room for the concept of writer’s block. If he gets stuck, there is plenty to occupy his conscious mind while his unconscious mind sorts the mess out.
And that’s the way to unblock writer’s block – do something else for a while.
If the words won’t come on the story I want them to, I write about something else, anything else. Once it was the benefits of camel spit. I kid you not. It may never develop into a story in its own right, but keeps me going until I can jump back onto the other tracks.
If the words have not just skipped school but taken a cross-country road-trip, I go off and do something with my hands: pull weeds out of the garden, create artist trading cards, destroy dust bunny civilizations by cleaning my bedroom … something other than staring at the computer or piece of paper.
For further reading, check out David Hewson great blog post about dealing with so-called writer’s block. Candace Havens taught an online writing class and created a printed workbook with daily prompts to help you get past your “writer’s block”.
Should you ever encounter such a thing at all.
Lodge: I do not have writer’s block! I know exactly how the story ends. I just… don’t know how to get there.
- The Gamers: Dorkness Rising
Oct 6, 2009
Categories: writing
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