writer's block

[waldo garcia]

Does anyone have any suggestions for writer's block?

Thanks,
waldo

[Frank S]

"waldo garcia" <wa...@tunaNOnoodle.SPAMcom.INVALID> wrote in message
news:4ybF8.9215$pa.9...@bin4.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...

| Does anyone have any suggestions for writer's block?
|
| Thanks,
| waldo
|
|

Googlesearch this group for "writer's block"
--

Frank S

[waldo garcia]

That's a great idea. Thanks!

> Googlesearch this group for "writer's block"
>

> Frank S

[Jerry Mundis]

On Fri, 17 May 2002 17:59:28 GMT, "waldo garcia"
<wa...@tunaNOnoodle.SPAMcom.INVALID> wrote:

>Does anyone have any suggestions for writer's block?

I've been breaking writer's block for nearly 20 years in a one-time
consultation for people ranging from full-time professional writers,
including one who's had ten books in a row on the New York Times
bestseller list, and another who is a Pulitzer prize winner, to
part-time writers, graduate students, and aspirant writers.

I identify six major forms of block (these also apply to other
creative artists as well as writers, such as composers, photographers,
and painters -- but not to actors -- and, actually, can apply to great
numbers of people for great numbers of projects or undertakings).
They are:

1. Paralysis

2. Avoidance behavior

3. Last-minute crisis writing

4. Inability to finish

5. Inability to select from among projectsfinish

6. Block specific (able to work on other material).

I can't summarize a five-hour session filled with concept and
technique here, but here, without going into detail about them or
discussing the many subtle ways they can play out, are what I call
"The Three Big Killers" in block:

1. Perfectionism -- which is a form of all-or-nothing thinking,
triumph or catastrophe, with nothing possible in between.

2. Fear -- which is a product of the first and second Big Killers,
but which can be identified as a separate entity. All fear in
writer's block, regardless of where it starts, can be boiled down to
the simple statement: "That I can't do it." And what is the "it"
that I can't do? The simple act of putting words on paper. Period.
Nothing more. Nothing less. The simple act of putting words on
paper. No more magical an act than painting a board or throwing a
board. (Find an equivalent analog for whatever task or project *you*
have in mind or are facing.

3. The Baggage Train -- these are all the things we wish to
*accomplish* with our writing, such as I want to be rich, I want to be
admired, I want to make them laugh and cry, I want to save the whales,
I want to bring peace to the middle-east, etc., but which are not the
*act* of writing itself. The problem arises because, while it looks
like I'm trying to write, and I *think* I'm trying to write, I'm not:
I'm trying to get rich, save the whales, get my ex-wife and all my
ex-lovers to say 'Boy, I really should have stayed with him. Look how
sensitive and insightful he is,' etc. The key is to disconnect the
baggage train from the locomotive, which is writing, which is the
simple act of putting words on paper, so that thing get out of the
station.

Any single one of these Killers operating in you with sufficient
strength, and you'll be blocked ; any two present at the same time,
and you don't have a chance.

I hope that is of some help. I wish you the best with this problem.
(Incidentally, I am not invulnerable to block myself. In fact, I have
a *huge* potential case of it. The difference is, I know what to do
about it. Actually, I break writer's block several times a day for
myself. If I didn't, I would be paralyzed.)

Be well,
Jerry

http://www.unblock.org

[waldo garcia]

Thank you, Jerry. That was a very helpful reply. I will review it a few
more times and see how I can apply its ideas.

Thanks again,
waldo

"Jerry Mundis" <JM...@att.net> wrote in message
news:3ce55e5a...@netnews.att.net...

[Alan Hope]

Coming up next, your comments and questions on issues discussed in the
programme, like this one from waldo garcia, calling from alt.writing:

>Does anyone have any suggestions for writer's block?

They should have a coffee-shop. Two dry-cleaners is one too many. One
of them could go and make room for a coffee-shop. And the bus-stop is
too close to the lights. That's a cause of congestion.

The old lady at number 98 isn't long for this world. We're all a bit
worried about who's going to move in there. You know how it is. All it
takes is one graphic artist, one ad exec, and the floodgates are open.

--
AH

[Perri]

Just keep on writing - even if it stinks!!! - all of a sudden ' the writing
comes a lot easier - at least on some days.

perila

"waldo garcia" <wa...@tunaNOnoodle.SPAMcom.INVALID> wrote in message
news:4ybF8.9215$pa.9...@bin4.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...

[Clive]

IMO writers block is caused by trying to force your characters to do things
that they would never do if you gave them free will.
Or in other words, caused by formulaic writing, usually using the dreaded
'outline'.
Give your characters free will. Ask THEM what happens next. The block will
vanish.

There is another type of block though. This one is when you are nearing the
end of a novel. It is caused by fear of rejection. (If you finish it you'll
have to submit it, yes? So if you never finish it . . . get the idea?)

Best wishes
Clive
author of "Appointment in Samara" ISBN 1-931402-25-6
Out next month
http://novelnow.cjb.net

[Juan Camarena]

Yeah.. sex

"waldo garcia" <wa...@tunaNOnoodle.SPAMcom.INVALID> wrote in message
news:4ybF8.9215$pa.9...@bin4.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...

[Tabitha W. Atwhistle]

"Juan Camarena" <jcamar...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:atYH8.1958$2Q3.1...@news3.news.adelphia.net...

> Yeah.. sex

I've never known that to work, but I'm willing to try it as many times as it
takes! Thanks.

[Russ Rose]

"Tabitha W. Atwhistle" <twatw...@rudraigh.com> wrote in message
news:actovf$sk8$0...@pita.alt.net...

>
> "Juan Camarena" <jcamar...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:atYH8.1958$2Q3.1...@news3.news.adelphia.net...
>
> > Yeah.. sex
>
> I've never known that to work, but I'm willing to try it as many times as
it
> takes! Thanks.
>

It does work eventually, but for some it takes decades. :-)

The actual cure is another type of oscillation.
You must alternate your analytical mind and your creative mind. In my
experience the "block" happens when you are trying to see too much of the
story at once and can't focus on it. Use your analytical abilities to slice
up the tasks before you into bite size pieces, then let your creative mind
nibble on each. Then back to your analytic side to see what , if any, good
has been produced. Set new tasks and repeat until the story is complete.
Having an editor often saves a lot of this trouble since they generally are
more analytical than anyone needs.

[Russ Rose]

"Joshua P. Hill" <josh...@snet.net.REMOVE.THIS> wrote in message
news:09s9fuciuf4vfjssb...@4ax.com...

> On Wed, 29 May 2002 04:52:06 GMT, "Russ Rose" <russ...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >The actual cure is another type of oscillation.
> > You must alternate your analytical mind and your creative mind. In my
> >experience the "block" happens when you are trying to see too much of the
> >story at once and can't focus on it. Use your analytical abilities to
slice
> >up the tasks before you into bite size pieces, then let your creative
mind
> >nibble on each. Then back to your analytic side to see what , if any,
good
> >has been produced. Set new tasks and repeat until the story is complete.
> >Having an editor often saves a lot of this trouble since they generally
are
> >more analytical than anyone needs.
>

> Interesting advice. I've always had difficulty reconciling the two: my
> analytical mind decides what it wants my characters to do, then they
> scoot off and do something else.

There are many different ways to approach it, but using the creative side to
only list the possibilities, then use the analytical to pick the best one
before actually writing the section. I do not adhere to this and let my
characters follow their own paths as you do. This advice was only for
getting back on track during the hopefully rare writer's block moments. I
usually have the opposite problem of too many words and not enough room for
them all.

>
> Josh

[E Baker-Toll]

> "waldo garcia" <wa...@tunaNOnoodle.SPAMcom.INVALID> wrote in message
> news:4ybF8.9215$pa.9...@bin4.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
> > Does anyone have any suggestions for writer's block?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > waldo
> >

Yeah. A deadline.

[Jeff Heisler]

Got 11 articles on the subject at
http://www.heislerink.com/cgi-bin/mx/article_showall.asp?cat_id=89&parent_id
=13&parent_name=Creativity&sub_name=Writers+Block

Hope they help.

/Jeff Heisler/
www.heislerink.com/writeaway.asp
Write Away- What if the Web was just for writers?

"Perri" <per...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:rS6G8.948$4P2.7...@news2.news.adelphia.net...

[PButler111]

>Got 11 articles on the subject at
>http://www.heislerink.com/cgi-bin/mx/article_showall.asp?cat_id=89&parent_id
>=13&parent_name=Creativity&sub_name=Writers+Block
>
>Hope they help.
>
>/Jeff Heisler/
> www.heislerink.com/writeaway.asp
>Write Away- What if the Web was just for writers?
>

Oh good, Jeff, I thought you'd run away without answering my questions. So,
have you ever had a book published by traditional means? Do you have an agent?
Have you ever? These seem very simple, reasonable questions to ask someone
advertising himself as an expert in this area. So?

[fundoc]

"PButler111" <pbutl...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020720005236...@mb-fl.aol.com...

RESUME -- Jeff Heisler

Objective -- Provide quality writing services to corporations, small
businesses, and publications.

Employment--- [1998-2002] Owner and operator of Heisler Ink, a freelance
copywriting agency.

Education --- [1991-1996] Olivet College, Olivet, MI.-- BA in science education
for secondary schools

Summary of writing qualifications -- Strong skills in a wide variety of
mediums, enhanced by extensive experience in applied psychology.