Welcome back to the continuation of Overcoming Writer’s block.
I heard a load of you running away from the last post as fast as your legs would carry you.
WHY?
Because you have heard that writer’s block is absolutely, undeniably, and scientifically proven to be impossible to overcome.
RUBBISH!!
It may not be easy but just listen for a few minutes you don’t even have to write any words.
I am here to tell you that WRITER’S BLOCK CAN BE OVERCOME.
There are ways to trick this nasty demon. Pick one or several and give them a try. Guess what? Before you know it you are writing.
Methods to overcome writer’s block:
- Be prepared. The only thing to fear is fear itself. If you spend some time mulling over your project before you actually sit down to write, you may be able to escape the worst of the crippling panic.
- Forget perfectionism. No one ever writes a masterpiece in the first draft. Don’t expect your writing to be perfect. In fact tell yourself you’re going to write a load of rubbish, and then give yourself permission to happily stink up your writing room.
- Compose instead of editing. Never, never write your first draft with your monkey-mind sitting on your shoulder making snide editorial comments. Composing is a magical process, it surpasses the conscious mind by leaps and bounds. So prepare an ambush. Sit down at your computer or your desk, take a deep breath and blow out all your thoughts. Let your fingers hover over your keyboard or lift your pen, and then pull a fake, appear to be about to write but instead using you thumb and index finger flick that annoying little monkey back to where it came from. Then quickly write, scribble, scream or howl and let it all loose, as long as you do it with your pen or keyboard.
- Forget the first sentence for now. You can sweat over that all important first line when you have finished your piece. Skip it, start in the middle or even the end. Start wherever you can, chances are when you are reading it over the first line will stand out from the depths of your composition and you will not be able to ignore it.
- Concentration. This is a hard one. How about thinking about your writing time as a holiday from all those annoying worries. Banish them. Create a space mentally or physically where nothing exists except the present moment. If one of those irritating worries gets by you, stomp on it like you would an ugly bug.
- Stop procrastinating. Write an outline. Keep your research notes within sight. Use someone elses writing to get going. Babble incoherently on paper or on the computer if you have to.
Just do it. Use anything that can possibly help you to get going, notes, outlines, pictures of your grandmother etc. Put the reward you will be allowed to have when you finish your first draft within sight, but out of reach. Then pick up similar writing to that you are going to write and read it. Then read it again. Soon the fear will slowly fade away and as soon as it does grab your keyboard, or pen and paper, and get writing.
I hope these 2 posts have helped you to overcome your writer’s block and your creative juices are now flowing.
Your comments are always welcome and as long as they are not classed as spam will be published.
Richard
Hi Richard
Had to pop back to read Part 2!
Procrastination is a powerful enemy.
I can stay focused most of the time, but if I have a bad day, I know that I won’t stay focused long enough to the longest tasks so I start with the small ones and do the others later.
I take more frequent breaks than I normally would, but at least I get something done.
Dee
Hi Dee
Procrastination is the enemy of us all. There are times when I just can’t do anything, I know I have to do something but I somtimes just can’t be bothered doing it.
I just make sure things are done before they get too far behind their target. Break the larger tasks into a number of smaller tasks and you will find them easier to do.
Richard
Hi Richard,
Great checklist for overcoming writer’s block.
IMHO, there is a difference between “creative” writing (my first novel) and writing an ebook, which is usually an information product.
While the search for the right word can be crucial in the first case, it is not all that important in the latter. There, I agree with you, just to start somewhere usually helps get the pen moving (do people still use pens?). That will help untie the knot, and as long as the argument that is to be developed is reasonably clear in the writer’s mind, things usually progress from there. Revisions will usually allow the right words to emerge.
The difficulty is to follow this advice and not to give in to “oh, I have writer’s block…”
Max
Hi Max
Yes there is a difference between writing a novel and writing an ebook but writer’s block can still apply. I have heard that some prolific authors in the past have disappeared from the writing scene totally because of writers block.
You can write by typing into your word processor, (probably the most used way today) rather than using a pen and paper.
Even if writing a novel you must have an idea about what you are going to write and if you start with what might be chapter 3 instead of chapter 1 so what the rest will come as long as you get started.
Richard
Hi Richard
I suppose every writer will suffer writers block at some time or other so far I haven’t found writers block much of a problem.
The problem I have is motivation, the longer I have been online the less motivated I have become, don’t know why? Maybe its because I feel people have not got the attention span. the next country is only a click of a mouse away so when they are sat in front of thier computers or surfing the web, there are so many distractions. That being said like you, when I set my mind to it, I tend to see the post or essay that I am writing through to the end.
To be honest you have hit the nail on the head about getting it perfect. I just write what’s in my head then go back and edit it, that seems to work for me.
Ps. Richard, read your about me page and one things for sure is that your honesty is what makes you the type of person people want to be around, to read someone tell the truth about this business we have entered into is so refereshing, its not as easy as people make out,especially the Gurus.
Cheers Mick
Hi Mick
Motivation can be a BIG problem especially when you seem to be doing everything right and get no returns from it. Peoples attention span is at most 10 minutes but if you don’t capture their attention in the first few seconds you lose them for good.
I do not believe in dressing up the truth to make myself look better as I believe I would soon be found out and then no one would want to trust me. I am sure that I annoy people somtimes both on and off line by my attitude but I don’t care, I am me and if they don’t like me as I am that is their problem not mine.
Some of the Gurus would have you believe that all you have to do is buy their latest product and you will get success. They then hit you with upsells, cross sells, downsells etc. until you get so confused you consign the product you bought to the look at later folder and never get round to looking at it. Another waste of your money while they are smileing all the way to the bank.
RIchard
Hey Richard,
Some good tips there about ways to defeat writer’s block. The one about ‘starting in the middle – or anywhere’ is certainly one that works for me.
I also think that with so much to do, writer’s block doesn’t really have much chance to hold me. I just pass to another project, or another aspect of the one I’m finding difficult. That may work for some others also.
Anthony
Hi Anthony
Glad you liked the tips on overcoming writer’s block.. There could well be other ways to beat it as well and if anyone mentions them I will include them here for all to see.
Richard
Hi Richard
Yes once I start writing I am fine. I do not procrastinate but sometimes it is really a matter of allocating time to do it.
These are good tips that you have written but I believe that if people just wrote as they speak, they would find it a lot easier.
I was taught to write it one day and check it the next and I find that when I re-read it the next day, I invariably will make some changes.
To YOUR success
Sue
Hi Sue
Some people can just write away and the words flow easily, others need to do more thinking about what they are going to write and I think they are the ones who suffer most from Writer’s Block.
I am a bit of both in that sometimes I can just write without thinking and other times I have to give it a lot of thought before putting pen to paper (typing). There are times when I go back and change or add to what I’ve already written and other times when I just leave it alone.
Rivhard
Pingback: 7 Link Blog Challenge | Richard Moloney's Blog