Dismantling the Writer's Block

The four main causes of writer's block, according to David Taylor, are:

1. Not being ready to write - is it a novel, a short story, a what? and what does that look like, what's its format like?

2. Being afraid to write - due to the sure and certain knowledge that you will never be JK Rowling or Billy Shakespeare; or due to previous humilating failure in some sphere of writing; or by fearing that although you managed in the past, the 'magic' is now gone.

3. Composing in your head - and this is probably the one I'm most guilty of! Coming up with a good thought and the most perfect way to express it right there and then! It's not really possible and yet, when I'm thinking-writing, that is exactly what I do, and when I can't find the perfect way to say it, I make the stupid assumption that 'it'll never work' and stop trying. Duh!! What should happen is this:

a. Prewrite - dream, research, read, think, compost, vegetate, think think think ....
b. Planning - also called outlining
c. Composing - this is the wonderful, messy, shitty-first draft stage! (Hello NaNoWriMo!)
d. Editing - this is when you turn it into prose that sings!
e.Proofing - and this is where you make sure it not only sings, but dances and juggles flaming torches as well!

4. Starting in the wrong place - and this is so close to 3 that I'll own it as well! That all-important first paragraph has stymied me more times than I care to admit. :-(

Now, on to the solutions (and thus some of what you can expect to see more of on this blog - if there's anyone reading it, of course!)

1. Freewrite - sit down and just type for a predetermined period of type - type anything at all, just keep the words flowing...
2. Copy other writer's work and flow from there
3. With research materials next to you, read them and use writing to explore them further - explain, speculate, relate, add to, explicate, argue with, rant ....
4. Write letters (I do this a LOT already, yay! go me!)
5. Write a dialogue about your writing project - ask and answer questions about the topic
6. Write invisibly - make your font white and just go for it!
7. Write about writing - about how you feel and why etc

And don't reread old pieces of writing (you might fear you'll never achieve those heights again); don't edit yesterday's work, and don't talk to anyone else about your writing - you end up all talked out with nothing written! And that has happened to me before today, so I know it to be true!!

And my BackSpace key is still just a hole on the laptop, but my clever clever son is going to apply some magic glue soon, so hopefully it'll be fixed soon!