Monday, February 26, 2007

Blog Day Blockage


What to write, what to write? I've wracked my brain to come up with some pithy illustration or valuable lesson to bestow on you Bloggees. I could share one of the highlights of my trip to Kansas City last week (too boring). . .or dissect my latest editing project (too monumental). . .or critique the Academy Awards attendees' attire (too overdone) or commiserate about my dieting woes (too all-of-the-above). But none of these topics are ringing the bell for me.

Do you ever have writing days like this--when every attempt at creativity leads you down a dark alley, with no way out but back the way you came?

Professional writers can seldom afford to let writer's block run its course naturally. When I faced a deadline as an author and writer's block set in, I tried every trick in the book to rev my creativity back to life--some with greater success than others. Often, writer's block is overcome by simply writing whatever comes to mind, nonsense or not, until an Ah-ha! moment strikes. Sometimes, a research break allows an author just enough of a change of pace to kick their creativity back into high gear again. Then, there are those days when nothing but a power nap will do to wake up that sleeping inspiration.

What are some of your "personal favorite" methods for breaking through writer's block?
Until next Monday . . . may words flow freely from your thoughts to the page. . .
Susan
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." --John 8: 36, NIV.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A walk especially out in the country. I seem distracted in town by the flowers, decorations, traffic-whatever. A power nap is great. So is coming at the page from a different direction. I like to open a new document and write in first person. Or write from the pov of a secondary character, or pretend I'm explaining to someone what I need to do in this story. Mostly I just need to apply bottom to chair and fingers to keyboard. Either that or pause to figure out why I can't move forward. Sometimes it is because I'm headed the wrong direction and everything--story, characters, God--is trying to tell me. Which brings me to the biggest help for the blockage--prayer. Good topic, Susan.
Linda F

Candice Speare said...

A total change of scenery. Hard, pounding exercise. Laughing with a friend. Reading an excellent book.

Kristy Dykes said...

I guess I'm a trivia person, but I like posts like this one. It lets me peek into your brain, shows me some things you're going through, the nitty gritty. Thanks for sharing!

Becky said...

I haven't sat down to write a story in a while, but characters always seem to start talking in my head when I'm mowing the lawn. I'm rather relaxed and doing an activity that I feel is accomplshing something. The combination of riding lawn mower and bright sunshine seems to open my creative brain flow better than anything else. If only I had a way of recording those ideas while in the moment.