Writer's Block

                                                              
Of course we all have it that terrible thing when our minds just get quiet and the characters in our head stop talking to us. Yes, I'm talking about Writer's Block!! Whether we are writing a novel, movie script, or anything, it does happen. Some people believe that there is no such thing as writer's block. I believe there is. When I am going through writer's block, my mind gets into a hint of laziness and I don't feel like writing anything. Now, if we are in school and we have to write assignments, that's different. But when it comes to putting our ideas and thoughts on paper...nothing comes out! As I write this blog I sit and watch Sex and The City, the movie and Carrie is a freelance writer. She doesn't write for a long time due to the heart break she endures with Bigg. But, once she comes back to or is over her " writer's block" it's almost like magic has happened. Carrie gets back to her old self and continues to doing what she loves, writing.  Writer's block can be brought on from many different things such as stress, anxiety, etc. But I say if you don't feel like writing, don't!  We all get into our moods where writing is secondary to our life instead of our primary focus. At least I know that I have. For some people writing is a hobby and for other's it's their life. But what do we do when we can't write for our hobby or our life. Don't fret  here are some tips to battle the disease of Writer's Block: 

1. Implement a Writing Schedule.

Carve out a time to write and then ignore the writer's block. Show up to write, even if nothing comes right away. When your body shows up to the page at the same time and place every day, eventually your mind — and your muse — will do the same. Graham Greene famously wrote 500 words, and only 500 words, every morning. Five hundred words is only about a page, but with those mere 500 words per day, Greene wrote and published over 30 books.

2. Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself.

In fact, don’t be hard on yourself at all while writing. Anna Quindlin wrote, “People have writer’s block not because they can’t write, but because they despair of writing eloquently.” Turn the critical brain off. There is a time and place for criticism: it’s called editing.

3. Think of Writing as a Regular Job, and Less as an Art.

Stephen King, a famously prolific author, uses the metaphor of a toolbox to talk about writing in On Writing, intentionally linking it to physical work. If we think of ourselves as laborers, as craftsmen, it’s easier to sit down and write. We’re just putting words on the page, after all, one beside another, as a bricklayer puts down bricks. At the end of the day, we’re just creating things — stories, poems, or plays — only we use vocabulary and grammar instead of bricks and mortar.

4. Take Time Off If You've Just Finished a Project.

Writer's block could be a sign that your ideas need time to gestate. Idleness can be a key part of the creative process. Give yourself time to gather new experiences and new ideas, from life, reading, or other forms of art, before you start again.

5. Set Deadlines and Keep Them.

Many writers, understandably, have trouble doing this on their own. You might find a writing partner and agree to hold each other to deadlines in an encouraging, uncritical way. Knowing that someone else is expecting results helps many writers produce material. Writing groups or classes are another good way to jump-start a writing routine.

6. Examine Deep-Seated Issues Behind Your Writer's Block.

Write about your anxieties regarding writing or creativity. Talk to a friend, preferably one who writes. A number of books, such as The Artist’s Way, are designed to help creative people explore the root causes of their blocks. (Studying the lives of other writers can also provide insight into why you're blocked.) If your writer's block continues, you might seek counseling. Many therapists specialize in helping artists and writers reconnect with their creativity.

7. Work on More Than One Project at a Time.

Some writers find it helpful to switch back and forth from one project to another. Whether this minimizes fear or boredom, or both, it seems to prevent writer's block for many people.

8. Try Writing Exercises.

As much as it may remind you of your high school writing class, writing exercises can loosen up the mind and get you to write things you would never write otherwise. If nothing else, they get words on the page, and if you do enough of that, some of it is bound to be good.

9. Re-Consider Your Writing Space.

Are your desk and chair comfortable? Is your space well-lit? Would it help to try writing in a coffee shop for a change? Without being too precious about it — or turning it into another form of procrastination — think about how you can create or find a space you'll look forward to being in.

10. Remember Why You Started to Write in the First Place. 

So now that we know how to overcome Writer's Block, let's put the paper to pen, fingers to laptop and get WRITING!!!!!! 

No more of this: 

But more of this: 

" Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted." ~ Jules Renard