Everyone suffers from writer’s block once in awhile. There are methods to cure it, but the first thing you need to do is to figure out the cause. That sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Believe me, it’s anything but easy. There are many things that can cause a writer to become blocked. Fear is a big one. Others include feelings that you are not perfect. It could also be due to lack of exercise.
Fear is not always evident. You might fear a great many things. I used to be afraid to let anyone read my work. Fear can be the prison that holds you. In my case, I pretended I wasn’t afraid. Then I posted my first blog. After a while, I wasn’t afraid of letting people read my work. It doesn’t sound like much, but I assure you, it wasn’t easy.
A block that’s caused by a lack of exercise is harder to diagnose than it is to cure. Even if all you do is suspect that’s the cause of your blockage, do something. Go for a walk or run. Jump rope or go to the gym. A little exercise won’t hurt you, unless you have some physical deterrent to exercise. Try a little yoga. Often that’s all you need to get writing again.
Perfectionism is hard to overcome. That’s the block where you feel caught in a cycle of revising and re-revising your work, over and over. What you have to do there, is stop revising and put your work out there. Learn to embrace your mistakes, or at least, accept them. That’s the only way you can break that hold. You are perfect. Accept that and put your work out where people can see it.
Even if you can’t identify the source of your block, there are things you can do. You can keep working on the piece until you overpower the block. Sometimes, you block is your unconscious mine telling you something isn’t right. Change the piece you are working on, or write another one. Go for a walk. Try writing in a different location. Meditate and visualize yourself somewhere else. Take a nap. The answers may come to you from your unconscious mind.
You could also try sitting down and free writing something. Even if all you do is write down a list of things you need at the grocery store. Try writing down something you did that day. Often that’s all you need do to get the words out.
Writer’s block happens to everyone, but it doesn’t have to become a serious problem. Just work through it or take some time to write something else. Forget about the writing for an hour. Sometimes a block is our minds telling us to take a break.
I am not one who is comfortable talking about myself but here goes. I enjoy writing, family history, and reading. I decided to do this blog because I wanted to try something new. I decided to make it a weekly blog because I wasn't sure that I could keep up with a daily one, and monthly seemed like I was writing a magazine. I think I did ok with my choices. You'll notice that there are not a lot of graphics on my site. That's because there are graphics plastered everywhere on the Internet and those sites sometimes take forever to load. This blog is a place where you can kick back, relax and be ready to be amused. At least I hope I willbamuse you. This blog is on a variety of subjects from my ficitional cat agency, the FFL, which is monthly, to instructional blogs to editorials, which are my opinions only. I admit that I don't know everything and could be wrong -- I frequently am. Now, stop reading about me and read what I have to say!
Check out my novel, The Accidental Colony — It's the story of a group of scientists fighting for survival.
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