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Conquering Writer’s Block By Linda C. Senn
Conditioning. Develop a simple ritual to begin your writing time. Light a candle, put a particular CD on, recite a writer’s affirmation, tape a note to your door stating that you’ll be experiencing an out-of-body time until further notice, or do all of the above. Stream-of-consciousness writing. Take one aspect of your topic, and write about it for five minutes without lifting your pen from the paper. Try to stay on course. But if necessary, write about how silly this exercise is until more fertile ideas pour out of your pen. Write a snippet of poetry to clear your writing palette. Prose writers often benefit from a literary change of pace. Write a short bad poem or a long lyrical one, and refresh the creative process. Stop your writing in the middle of a paragraph, whether you’ll be away from the computer for an hour or a day. It’s often easier to pick up in the middle, than it is to start a new section when you begin writing for the day. If you can’t come up with the exactly right word, type in a reasonable facsimile and put brackets around it to indicate it’s to be replace upon editing. But don’t lose valuable writing momentum by pouring over your Thesaurus. Keep your book outline right next to the keyboard. The book outline underscores the entire process at hand—the book is not just about that single, obstinate sentence. Write every day! Many people find that the writing flows more smoothly when it’s a daily habit. Work on several articles simultaneously. Try working on two or three writing projects at once. When you feel stuck or stale with one project, switch to another for a while. Walk away! Or as Scott Ginsberg, author of The Power of Approachability says, “Get the Heck Outta Dodge.” Take your laptop or pen and paper to the local coffee shop, library, park, or other fresh surroundings. It’s a fabulous writer’s block buster! © Pen Central Communications 2006
For additional information, contact Linda Senn at Linda@PenCentralOnline.com
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