Top Ten Writing Tips #2 – Writer’s Block is Your Friend
There’s a lot of opinion on writer’s block, whether its exists, how to get past it, what the whole writing life thing is all about. Here’s some, and here’s some more. Not much is about why we get stuck and what it’s for. You don’t hear people talking about Bus-driver’s block or Hairdresser’s block, if Writer’s block doesn’t exist why do we spend so much time talking about it? Here’s my take* on it:
If you think about the creative process, or the problem solving process, the imagination in general, it’s quite hard to say where that initial burst of ideas that sets you on a project comes from. Pwimula Nesbytt and the Underground Empire! It’s got subterranean airships!! Battle Moles!! I’m so excited I’m hyperventilating!!!
Later on you work those first ideas up into some kind of structure – characters, story, situation, you develop and expand and embellish using your active mind, memories, imagination and current fascinations. Maybe in some great burst of creative energy, or over days or weeks, but that’s later. For me it feels like those first brilliant thoughts have been handed to me on a plate, fully formed and ready to use – a present from my subconscious mind.
General advice is that you shouldn’t listen to the little voices in your head. It’s good fine and sensible advice and writers should learn to ignore it when those little voices are your characters and they are asking certain questions.
Pwimula and Bjorn walked into a room, empty except for a table and two chairs. They sat down, Bjorn put his hands on the table. ‘What do we do now?’
Bjorn isn’t talking to Pwimula, he’s talking to you, and you’d better be listening because he’s asking for help.
It’s the same with Writer’s Block. The fact that you are stuck, or slowing down, struggling with those damned words like a sumo wrestler wading thigh-deep in molasses, is that you’re not where you should be.
The boys in the basement, the gals in the garret, however you imagine your subconscious mind, have been trying to telling you you’ve taken a wrong turn. You wouldn’t listen, so they’ve put the brakes on, they’re trying to get your hands off the shovel and stop you digging.
Think of it this way and getting stymied is a gift. It’s a positive thing and it will be transient. Think about where you are and where you should be. If you’re like me you’ll probably have to hack out some pages but you’ll get back to where you were meant to be and off you’ll go. Writer’s block doesn’t exist. Writer’s block is your imaginary friend.
Next week: Writers Write.
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*I’m just talking about the writing process here. There are many other reasons why writing can be difficult. Life can bowl you a real googly sometimes.
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