Breaking a writing block

All writers experience the occasional writing block.

 

Every few months I go through a period of time when I feel nauseous (that is, physically ill) whenever I sit down to write. It's as if my cobbler's elves have gone on strike and put up a "Gone fishing" sign. Years ago, I took this response as a sign that I should give up writing, and do something which made more sense. I agonized, wondering what the heck was wrong with me. Stupidly, I also binned whatever I was working on when the block hit. You should NEVER do this. Heaven knows how many manuscripts I binned when I wasn't thinking straight. (See more on this below.)

 

It took me a long while to realize that you can't bully creativity. You can coax it, but you can't flog it into action.

 

All creative people need to have regular periods where they relax and take a break. I watch a movie or three, and go window shopping. I read a lot. If I have to write for a deadline, I write in longhand, or on my Palm handheld, forcing myself to write a word at a time, because I know it has to get done.

 

I know now, that if I leave myself alone, I usually snap out of the block within a few days or a week.

 

There's a danger to a block like this. Because you're depressed, you may think that whatever you were working when the block hit was the trigger for the block, and decide to scrap the project.

 

**** HERE'S A TIP: NEVER, EVER DELETE YOUR WORK WHEN YOU'RE DEPRESSED ***

 

Don’t delete anything. After you get over the block, and are writing with enjoyment again, you can decide whether or not to scrap a project. Don’t make decisions like this when you're in the middle of a block. :-)