| How often do you get that slowly rising feeling of | | | | your mind wander and see yourself enjoying a life |
| dread that you can't seem to come up with any | | | | of writing freely and abundantly? |
| good new ideas, lines or phrases in your writing? | | | | Or do you dismiss the whole exercise as pointless |
| Maybe you feel so stuck you can't even write a | | | | because you so strongly believe that writer's |
| word, let alone a sentence, paragraph or page? | | | | block does exist? |
| All of us who write have felt times when the | | | | If we demonise things in our life, if we fear them |
| writing seems to come more easily than others. | | | | and run from them, we give them great power |
| And other times when it barely comes at all. | | | | and influence. The kind of great power and |
| But how you view this, your attitude towards it | | | | influence they don't deserve to have. |
| and the beliefs you hold around writing and | | | | If however, we pull off their scary mask, if we |
| writer's block, will all add up to determining how | | | | drag them out of the dark shadows and shine a |
| easy you'll find it to write. | | | | spotlight in their face, we always see they're not |
| I put it to you, that if you have the right | | | | as intimidating and affecting as we thought they |
| supportive beliefs and attitude, writer's block does | | | | were. |
| not exist. | | | | Writer's block is a great example of this. It cannot |
| Now, if your reaction to this statement is to think | | | | exist unless you believe it exists. Unless you |
| I'm lying, or being naïve, or that obviously | | | | believe it will inevitably strike you down one day |
| I've never had the kind of REAL writer's block | | | | and cause you complete writing debilitation. |
| you've had, then I think that says more about | | | | However blocked you feel, you will always be able |
| your determination to believe in writer's block than | | | | to write SOMETHING. Yes it may not be exactly |
| what my beliefs are. | | | | what you want to write at that time, and it may |
| Imagine, just for a moment (whatever you | | | | not be perfect. But you will always be able to |
| currently believe) that writer's block didn't exist. | | | | write. And sooner or later, if you keep writing, |
| That it was actually impossible for you to be | | | | you will unfurl wonderful lines, ideas, poems and |
| affected by it, you were somehow completely | | | | stories within you. |
| immune. | | | | If writer's block is a religion, it's time to become |
| How would your life as writer be different? How | | | | an atheist. Join the non-believers today, and free |
| much more easily would you be able to write? | | | | yourself to write the great writing you know |
| Take a few minutes to consider this in a little | | | | you're capable of writing. |
| more detail. Observe your thoughts. Do you let | | | | |