May

4

Overcoming Writing Blocks

May 4, 2007 | posted by Ryan |

Have you ever had a time when writing just didn’t feel right, or that the mere act of sitting down to write was enough to bring back memories of chores long since forgotten? Maybe you are a cleaner, needing to clean before sinking into your writing project. Maybe you are a solitary writer, or on the flip side, need the extra stimulation of a coffee shop? Well, fortunately there has been A LOT written about writers block (almost an oxymoron isn’t it!).

In my experience writing my dissertation (a large research project I had to complete in order to graduate with my Ph.D.), there were times that I absolutely fought against the urge to write. I knew that I wanted to write, even that I had to write, but that didn’t help me write. I would either find other things to do, sit and stare at my screen, or write something small then edit it for several hours. These behaviors were entirely unproductive, and did not help me to get to the goal of having a completed piece of work.

During our consulting we have found several ways to overcome writers block. One of my favorites is doing a daily visualization, seeing a set of black bricks building a wall in front of you, each with the word “block” on it. Once the wall has been created, mentally destroy the wall - the way is up to you. Wrecking ball. Bare fists. Laser beams from your eyes. Or seeing it crumble and transform into a lush garden with a pathway in front of you. This practice can also be done by painting real wooden blocks black, then painting the word “block” on it. Build the wall and then break it down. This will instill in your own psyche the ability to break down internal blocks whenever you come up against them. Simple, and it will work for most types of blockages.

There are other exercises, and even a great number of additional resources on the web. Here are a few from a simple search:
10 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Blocks
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingroadblocks/a/writersblock.htm

A Creative Way to Get Ideas Down Before the Critic Smashes Those Good Ideas
http://timetowrite.blogs.com/weblog/2007/04/overcoming_writ.html

Good ol’ Wikipedia - With a Section on How to Overcome Writer’s Block
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer’s_block

[Posted in General Interest & Research & Resources]



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