Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block". It is a well-known phenomenon that just about everyone has faced at one point in their lives.
I used to suffer from writer's block, big time! Thus, I know through personal anguish and suffering, that it is definitely not a pleasant experience.
Especially when the due date for one's project or paper is getting closer by the day, and the boss asks you "how's that project going" every time you don't manage to avoid him/her when you're sneaking down the corridor.
WRITER'S BLOCK IS FEAR-BASED
Writer's block is a fear-based feeling. For whatever reason, many of us have this incredible fear of committing ourselves in writing whenever we are faced with a blank page or computer screen.
Fear no longer! I'm here to tell you that writer's block can be beaten!
Just realizing that writer's block is really an irrational fear that keeps us from putting pen to paper is half the battle. It's actually a fear of the unknown, often coupled with a fear of failure.
We secretly wonder just what exactly is going to come out of this pen/keyboard, and when it does, will we be revealing some kind of incompetent idiot who doesn't know what they're talking about?
On the other hand, if we have done the proper preparation, our rational mind knows that we can do it just like we did it all of those other times before.
Unfortunately, fear often wins the day when it comes to writing.
As I stated above, I suffered from writer's block for many years and it was not the most enjoyable of experiences.
THE 7 SECRETS
Fortunately, somewhere along the way I did manage to develop a few tricks to overcome writers block. Some are obvious, others are not.
Here are my personal hard-earned secrets for overcoming writer's block:
1. Don't Write Too Soon
Before trying to write, it is important to prepare mentally for a few hours or days (depending on the size of the task) by mulling the writing project over in the back of your mind. (Just as athletes don't like to peak too soon, writers shouldn't write too soon either!).
2. Do The Preparation
Read over whatever background material you have so that it is fresh in your mind. I read through all background material carefully marking important points with a yellow hi-liter and then review it all before I start to write.
3. Develop A Simple Outline
Before sitting down to write, put together a simple point form list of all of the key points you want to cover, and then organize them in the order in which you are going to cover them. (I know, I know... your Grade 6 teacher told you the same thing... but it actually does work).
4. Keep research Documents Close By
When you sit down to write, make sure that all of your key background materials are spread out close at hand. This will allow you to quickly refer to them without interrupting the writing flow once you get going. I keep as many of the source documents as possible wide open, and within eyesight for quick and easy reference.
5. Just Start Writing
Yes, that's exactly what you do. Once you have prepared mentally and done your homework you are ready to write, even if your writer's block is saying "no". Just start writing any old thing that comes to mind. Go with the natural flow. In no time at all you will get into a rhythm, and the words will just keep on flowing.
6. Don't Worry About The First Draft
Once the words start to flow, don't worry about making it perfect the first time. Remember, it's your first draft. You will be able to revise it later. The critical thing at the outset is to write those thoughts down as your mind dictates them to you.
7. Work From An Example
Get an actual sample of the type of document that you need to write. It could be something that you wrote previously, or it could be something from an old working file, or a clipping from a magazine article, or a sales brochure you picked up. As long as it is the same type of document that you are writing. Whatever it is, just post it up in your line-of-sight while you are working. You'll be amazed at how it helps the words and ideas flow. The main thing is to have an example to act as a sort of visual template.
In my experience this last one is the ultimate secret for overcoming writer's block.
To help with this, be on the lookout for good examples of writing that you may see in newspapers and magazines, and clip out the useful ones for future reference.
© 2005 by Shaun Fawcett
Shaun Fawcett, is webmaster of the popular writing help site WritingHelp-Central.com. He is also the author of several best selling "writing toolkit" eBooks. All of his eBooks and his internationally acclaimed f-r-e-e course, "Tips and Tricks For Writing Success" are available at his writing tools site: http://www.writinghelptools.com
|| Graphology & Graphotherapy ||Everybody wants to know more about... Read More
A friend and I were talking the other day about... Read More
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More
Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More
It occurred to me one day that I needed something... Read More
What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply... Read More
Sometimes there is confusion about the exact meaning of the... Read More
WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT TO GET INTO UK UNIVERSITYHOW DO... Read More
You sink back into your favourite chair with a new... Read More
When you sit down to write a steamy romance, a... Read More
One morning, you open your inbox and find several e-mails... Read More
Are you ready to abandon your short stories? Before you... Read More
"You should write a book." For years, I had been... Read More
Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It... Read More
"I don't know if I should put 'writer' on my... Read More
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More
The hardest part of nonfiction writing is finding a subject... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Writing is a creative process and how... Read More
Is there a book inside of you? Yes? Then why... Read More
List-making is a favorite journaling technique and is often used... Read More
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
As a child, I loved to write. I can't remember... Read More
Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More
Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
Great business writers combine narrative skills with sound judgment to... Read More
How do you choose a name? Do you put down... Read More
1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More
All your publishing options are as follows:--Conventional publishing--Vanity or subsidy... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
If you're a writer, you're in business. It doesn't matter... Read More
1) Convince yourself you want to do something else. If... Read More
User documentation is all too often written by programmers for... Read More
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More
(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More
When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More
You wrote a tips booklet. Maybe more than one. Oh... Read More
We've all seen those ads that grab our attention and... Read More
As a child, I loved to write. I can't remember... Read More
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More
Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling... Read More
Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More
Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of... Read More
Next time you're tempted to use italics for emphasis... STOP!"Why?"... Read More
Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
We've all heard a politician on their soapbox, pushing for... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have... Read More
Whenever you sit down to plot a story (or even... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a... Read More
He ran up the steps and knocked on the door.... Read More
You have a great idea for a poem, a story,... Read More
Writing |