From time to time everybody who writes either gets stuck staring at the white page and considers slamming their head into the desk repeatedly or has been writing up a storm until you run into a wall. You inadvertently wrote yourself into something that you didn't mean to. The idea or line of thought was flowing and just dissipated like the morning's fog after the sun comes up. Either way you're stuck. Now part of me gets frustrated by my impatience because my time to write is so limited and to waste it by staring at a blank page or getting stalled midway through the next chapter of my book seems like a terrible waste of my time.
Sometimes the problem is you! Maybe you have an emotional hang up with what you're writing. For an example I was attacked from behind by a dog as a child. I probably will not be writing lovey dovey dog scenes in any of my books. If I attempted to write about dogs attacking people or being extra friendly with a dog, I might get conflicted and have trouble or feel stuck. Search your feelings about what your piece is dealing with to see if you are just getting too close to home and that is what is hanging you up. Some writers use their work and writing to write about true events that deeply affect them as a means of coping with the situation.
Whatever we write it is a part us, coming from our conscious and un-conscious minds, coming out of us based off our education and life experiences and background. Hell if that doesn't trip you up once and while you may be too emotionally healthy to be writing. That being said when you read disturbing pieces by some well known authors like Stephen King or James Patterson you have to wonder if these people shouldn't be allowed out in public!
I personally love Dead Ends because it gives me a chance to get crazy. I remind myself that this is fiction and I can do whatever I want! I can write this section of this piece twenty different ways from Sunday and choose the best one later. I start asking questions about the situation. I start examining the situation from different angles. If it's a hard problem I think about it and verbalize the problem right before I go to sleep and in many cases I either wake up with the answer in the morning or it wakes me up in the middle of the night with the answer! It's amazing what your subconscious can do with problems.
So the next time you get stuck try thinking your way out of the box. If it is an emotional hang up, get over it, write about it, or just re-write the piece.
One final note is to do things you normally don't do. Go places you haven't been to before. We all need breaks and from time to time instead of getting down to business and working try hopping blogs, surfing the net, check out Pinterest, StumbleUpon, find something to feed your brain new information, raw material to use in future writing, brain storming, or just to flip your triggers. All work will make us all dull boys and girls. We want sharp as a tack, eyes wide open, hearts ready to be broke, live like it's your last day to live in our writing and everyday lives.
May God Bless You! Keep Writing. Have a Great Day on Friday the 13th!! OHHHH!
Posted in: Writers Block Dead End Stuck
1 comments:
Great post Tom
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