| If you haven't experienced it yourself (yet), you | | | | Self-criticism. If your "internal voice" begins |
| have at least heard of writer's block. It's the | | | | criticizing your work, your business, your talent, or |
| experience of sitting in front of a blank page or a | | | | whatever gets your goat, you can hit a creative |
| blank screen, and being blank yourself. No ideas, | | | | wall. That voice may tell you that you are deluding |
| no inspiration. Or it can be the possibly more | | | | yourself about the worth of the project you are |
| frustrating experience of starting something only | | | | working on, or question your ability to do a good |
| to decide after two sentences that it's not | | | | job. Self-esteem plummets, courage fails, and |
| working and starting again-and doing that over | | | | before you know it you've shut off the computer |
| and over and over. Writer's block can be | | | | and are heading to the refrigerator or the |
| screamingly frustrating-and the frustration itself | | | | television remote. |
| can feed the block and keep it going. | | | | Life-based. Finding time and energy to write in the |
| There is no single cure for writer's block; if there | | | | midst of ongoing life demands is always a |
| were such a thing, someone would have bottled it | | | | challenge. It can sometimes feel that you can't be |
| and be making a bajillion dollars selling it. Each | | | | a writer and also have a "regular" life. When |
| writer blocks differently, and the cure will | | | | you're writing, you think about the time you are |
| therefore be unique. When you find yourself | | | | taking away from family and friends; when you're |
| blocked, you will have to figure out the right way | | | | socializing, you feel guilty for not writing. Over |
| to break yourself through. | | | | time, this inner debate can cause a block. |
| If you can't identify the reason for your block, | | | | Physical condition. The creative process demands |
| breaking through it is impossible. Reading an article | | | | energy. After finishing the day job, picking up the |
| or chapter dealing with writer's block might help if | | | | kids, and running whatever errands must be |
| you accidentally stumble across a suggestion that | | | | attended to, you don't have energy left for |
| actually fits your particular situation. But this is | | | | writing. Or you may burn yourself out by pushing |
| rare. Most of the time you will have to figure both | | | | too hard on a project. Your block at this point |
| the cause of the block and the appropriate fix | | | | may feel like you've disconnected from your |
| yourself. Take time to get to know how you | | | | work and especially from the passion for it. You |
| tend to block-you may have different blocks in | | | | may still want to write but be blocked because |
| different situations. Once you identify the specific | | | | your mind is simply too exhausted to generate |
| source of blockage, you can devise a suitable | | | | creativity. |
| remedy. | | | | Environment. You may have too much going on in |
| Here are some common causes of writer's block. | | | | your immediate surroundings. Writers who can't |
| You can use this list as a starting point for | | | | write in one location have had no problems with |
| discovery at those times that you find yourself | | | | word flow when they move to a different |
| blank and frustrated. | | | | environment. It could be too much noise, too |
| Mood-based. This may be the first sign of a block: | | | | much distraction, or something else-getting free |
| the onset of worry, panic, doubt, even | | | | of the "static" can do wonders for a block. |
| depression. Any of these can create restlessness | | | | Different blocks require different solutions. Take |
| that keeps the words from coming together, or | | | | the time to get to know yourself. If you're |
| have the opposite effect and leave us too | | | | blocked, figure out why, then think through and |
| lethargic and unmotivated to get up off the couch | | | | implement a plan for blasting through and getting |
| (or even out of bed) and make it to the desk. | | | | that creative energy flowing. |