What Is Writer's Block? #3

I had a terrible time writing Tuesday's post, "Book Review: Kisses of an Enemy."  Yes, that one: the quick and easy one that almost didn't take any writing at all. Type a little intro, paste the review, a couple of links, a picture and it's done. But I spent the bulk of Monday morning struggling to write the introduction.

Photo: matiwinnetou.blogspot.com

No, I wasn't trying to make it perfect. I wasn't afraid of failure. And I knew what I wanted to say; I just had no idea how to say it.

Obviously, the post ended up being written. And, yes, I wrote it myself; I didn't get a ghostwriter. So how did I cure the block?

I took a nap.

Turns out I was too tired to be productive and too tired to realize it until I'd wasted half the day. Or maybe I was just too stubborn to admit it.

I know that for a lot of people writer's block is caused by an irrational fear of failure. This Monday, mine was caused by an irrational fear of laziness.

I have a lot to do today, so maybe I'll go lie down for a bit.

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What is Writer's Block? #2

A month ago in "What is Writer's Block, Anyway?" I suggested that 'writer's block' is a catch-all term for a variety of issues that stop us from writing, and that the first step in fixing it is to figure out exactly what's wrong.

Thanks to Bill Watterson/Universal Press Syndicate

The way I see it, these issues usually fall into one of two categories: either there's a problem with what we're writing, or there's something interfering with our creativity.

Until last month it never occurred to me to use the term 'writer's block' to describe a problem with something I was writing. I call that 'writing myself into a corner'. But of course it doesn't matter what you call it; it matters what you do about it. More about this kind of writer's block in a later post.

Then there are those times when there's nothing wrong with the story, or the story doesn't exist yet, and I try to write and get nothing. I push myself to write anyway and end up with a page of flat cliche that's almost painful to read.

Or there's what happened yesterday. I set out to update this blog and didn't have a clue what to write. All I could think of was insignificant jabber even I wouldn't want to read. How about a post about the snow in the back yard? Or would you like to know that these cats have soft fur? It was that ridiculous. Fortunately, I had a short story to post.

As I write this, I'm struggling with another creative challenge: I seem to have misplaced my vocabulary. I'm told that when I was three I asked, "Mama, do I have a vocabulary?" She assured me I did, but I seem to keep losing it. Every paragraph or so, I struggle to come up with a word. I know it's there and I almost have it, but it stays out of reach.

I can't give you the solution. Unfortunately, I'm not a famous veteran writer who can say, 'Follow these five steps and you're guaranteed to free up your creative potential.' I suspect nobody like that exists anyway; we're all individuals, after all. But here are some of the things I do, that seem to help:

• Walk away. This may be the hardest one for me. Sometimes I'm just trying too hard, for too long, and I need to literally stand up and walk around and look at the physical world for ten minutes.

• Eat. I do forget to do that, especially when the writing is going well, and I'm lost in a world somewhere. And then it stops going so well, for lack of fuel to the brain, and it may take me a long time to notice that.

• Take a shower. I have no idea what it is with me, with water and creativity. Sometimes just washing the dishes gets the magic back in my head.

• Reread the story so far. Even better if I read it aloud. I think it helps me regain the threads of the story, and puts the rhythm of my own writing voice back in my head.

Photo: pinterest.com

• Work on a different story, or a different chapter, or stop working on the main plot and work on a subplot. This works great during NaNoWriMo. It gives me a rest without hurting my productivity. 

• Read a good book. You can't write if you don't read, and sometimes I get busy and forget this.

• Have a backup. Like yesterday's short story: copy and paste, edit out the annoying formatting errors that always pop up. Hit 'publish'. Done.

• Stick any old word in there, and change it later. It sounds like selling out, but really does work for me. Half the time, as soon as I stop beating myself up for not remembering the word, it pops into my head. Sometimes I even type (in all-caps, so I won't miss it) something like 'INSERT WORD HERE' or 'SORT OF LIKE PRETENDING FOR THE SAKE OF SHOW'

• Call it a day. Sometimes I've just done all the writing I'm going to do that day, and spinning my wheels isn't going to change that. I really think writers are like athletes: we have powerhouse days and off days, streaks and slumps, and they average out.

But that's just me. I'd love to hear from my fellow writers. What do you do when the voice in your head won't sing?

What Is Writer's Block, Anyway?

Photo: http://www.techinasia.com

I've seen a lot of articles on how to cure writer's block, and most of them don't help me at all. I even tried a few of the proposed solutions and, like I expected, they just didn't work. It was like trying to fix a leaky engine by doing a brake job.

Then I found "What to Do When You're Stuck" by Kiley Couillard and finally got a clue.

Kiley recommends, essentially, writing out your plot, otherwise known as outlining. Then you'll know where the story is going, so you won't be stuck wondering. It's great advice. I've been stuck like that sooo many times, but now it never happens anymore because I figured out that I should do, basically, what Kiley says. 

Nikita T. Mitchell

But I don't call that 'writer's block'. When I experience writer's block - and it happens often enough - it's a lot like how I killed my first car. The oil leaked out and the poor engine couldn't move smoothly anymore, but I kept driving it anyway until it locked up entirely. In other words, I need to learn to follow Nikita T. Mitchell's advice, and take breaks.

The problem Kiley addresses isn't what I tend to call 'writer's block', but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be called that. Maybe saying, 'I have writers' block' is a little bit like saying 'Something's wrong with my car': it's a general term that covers a lot of different problems, and the solution will depend on which one you have.

And it all starts with a diagnosis. I love Charlie Jane Anders' article The 10 Types of Writers’ Block (and How to Overcome Them). Kiley's type is number four, but mine doesn't seem to be listed. Maybe it's just too obvious: take a break already!