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Breaking
Out of Writer's Block, Part I
by Apryl Duncan
You
stare at the blank page. The white of the page embeds itself in your brain,
resulting in your mind going blank.
Breaking out of the block doesn't have to be a mind-boggling challenge, though.
Explore the causes and the cure and you'll be writing again in no time.
COMMON CAUSES
*
Unrealistic
Goals *
If
you've decided that you're going to write from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every single day
- no matter what - then you're probably pushing yourself too hard.
Your writing will become dull and drab. The natural flow you once knew will
temporarily escape to Writer's Block Island with the rest of your writing
talents.
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Stress!
*
We
all know how stress can affect your mood. But stress can also affect your
writing.
For instance, say all you wanted to do was come home from work and write until
bedtime. Your boss makes you stay late. Your supper was a half-cooked hamburger and cold fries
from a local fast food restaurant. Your dog wants to go out. And all you want to
do is crawl in bed and forget the entire day.
As much as we try to carry a stiff upper lip, we're still human. External
factors can affect our mood and ultimately affect our writing. Our focus shifts
to all the bad things that happened in our day and writing becomes the last
thing we want to do.
*
Neglecting Our Writing *
Sometimes
Writer's Block comes from not writing! Writing every day is essential to keeping
those creative juices flowing. You don't have to make an impossible deal with
yourself to write 100 pages of your manuscript in one sitting. Taking as little
as 10 minutes a day helps keep you writing and words will flow from your mind
much easier.
*
Perfectionism
*
The
perfect paragraph, word after word, is a carefully constructed piece of art. But
hanging yourself up on creating that perfect paragraph will win you an
all-expense paid trip to Writer's Block Island.
If you run into this problem, give yourself and your writing a cooling off
period. After a couple of days, re-visit your work and see where or even if it
needs improvement. Your mind will be fresh and clear, giving you a whole new
perspective on your own writing.
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Research-Related *
A
lot of writers don't realize how research can even be a hangup. Maybe you can't
finish your crime novel because you don't know how police would handle a certain
situation in reality. Sometimes the answer isn't so obvious and we try to write
our way around it. All we really need to do is a little more research.
Part
1
Part 2
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Apryl Duncan is the founder of FictionAddiction.NET. Visitors can
post their work, search for publishers and agents, read articles on
the writing craft, contact their favorite authors, subscribe to two
newsletters, one for writers and one for readers and so much more.
Visit: http://www.FictionAddiction.NET
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