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I dare to say there's no such thing as writer's block. Now all the writers want to jump through their computer screens and strangle me.
Yes, writer's block happens. It's real and it's frustrating for any writer. But could it be that we're hiding behind that age-old excuse? Using "writer's block" as a mask for our lack of research, lack of imagination, lack of focus, and lack of confidence.
We wake up one morning and head to the computer just like every other day. We bring up that white screen and rack our brains for something to write about, only our brains seem just as blank. So we get up, have a cup of coffee, maybe turn on the tv. We walk around the house and realize we need to take out the trash. Two hours later, we realize we haven't written a thing. "Oh, well" we say. "It's just writer's block."
The truth is we didn't want to write.
Because if you really wanted to write you could overcome writer's block. The first step in overcoming it is to recognize what is causing it.
Perhaps you're writing a story or scene that takes place off the West Coast of Florida. But you live in Arkansas and you've never even been to Florida. You're having a hard time describing it because you don't know how. You can't pull something from your brain that was never there to begin with. So you need to research. Find out everything you possibly can about the place or thing you're writing about.
Let's try another scenario. Often writers claim to just get "stuck". I blame this on lack of imagination. You just need to give you imagination a jump start to get the juices flowing again. One of the best ways to do this: READ!!! Read your favorite author, read your own work, read a friend's work. join a writer's group and participate in writing activities. Then write. It doesn't matter what as long as the pen is moving. Make up short silly stories. Put your characters in different situations. Ask "What if..." Maybe change ideas in your story. You don't have to keep it that way but if something clicks, it may be better than your original idea.
Now here's a big one: Lack of focus. This one will really drag you down. To keep focused, you need to have some idea where you're going to begin with. Then if you get off track a little, or change details, it's okay. But you have to have a general idea of what you're writing. Next, think about your purpose for writing that particular piece. What are you trying to show your reader? A false goal will kill your story. Have a good goal and be sure every part of your story is moving toward that goal. Sometimes I write my goal on yellow post-it notes and stick it to my computer so I have to look at it while I'm writing my story. this keeps me focused.
The last may be one of the toughest for writers, especially those new to the game. Lack of confidence.
Publishing is hard. You have enough rejection slips to wall-paper your office. So how do you stay confident?
Always remember what you've accomplished. Even if you've never been published, you've written something that was important to you. And if it matters to you, that's an accomplishment. Maybe look back on some old poems or stories you've written in the past. Ask for praise. Have a friend or even your mother read a story. Your mother is sure to tell you how much she loves it! This is not the time for self-doubt, this is a time to bring yourself up. Read about the craft, visit a writers conference. Hang around people that love to write. If you don't know any you can always find people on the web.
But next time you think you feel writer's block coming on, tell yourself it doesn't exist. Write anyway. It may not be your best work but at least you can say you conquered writer's block. And you may surprise yourself with a new burst of creativity.
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