Wrote a column 5 days a week for a few years.
I used one word to spin an idea that would make a sentence then paragraphs....
Hi guy.
“How do you get past Writer’s Block?”
Come to St. Pete and stay on the beach
Either the Don Caesar or the Castle hotel.
See you soon.
5.56mm
Instead of writing, carry a small recorder, and use it to record your “spur of the moment” thoughts.
Do this for as long as you need to. Hopefully you will come to a time where you feel like going back and listening to it all, and inspiration will hit you.
Good luck and God bless!
You are one of the better Freepers (IMHO).
If you’re stuck on writer’s block, just turn right at the next intersection.
Plus, you can still move your writing progress forward because there are easier parts of your story you can work on now till you feel up to tackling the tougher parts.
When I have a long story or research report to write, I divide the work into sections. Every section has a title to quickly explain its purpose. And for those sections I have reasonably finished for the first draft, I change the text color to blue.
Then periodically, I hold down the CTRL key and scroll down with my mouse to reduce the size of each page so I can see the whole document in one view. Seeing blocks of black text steadily turn to blue is a great motivator that says, "Way to go, tiger. You're making progress!"
One of America's greatest writers (and patriots), Ralph Waldo Emerson, talked about writer's block in his 1841 essay on the Intellect:
For example, a man explores the basis of civil government. Let him intend his mind without respite, without rest, in one direction. His best heed long time avails him nothing. Yet thoughts are flitting before him.
We all but apprehend, we dimly forebode the truth. We say, I will walk abroad, and the truth will take form and clearness to me. We go forth, but cannot find it.
It seems as if we needed only the stillness and composed attitude of the library to seize the thought. But we come in, and are as far from it as at first.
Then, in a moment, and unannounced, the truth appears. A certain, wandering light appears, and is the distinction, the principle, we wanted.
But the oracle comes, because we had previously laid siege to the shrine."
Would you, please, add me to this ping list?
Two ways: (1) Take a break. Get your head out of it. Try to focus on something else for at least an entire day. Note: this does not work if you keep dwelling on the subject matter. (2) Grind through it. Just keep writing. Anything. Yeah most of it will be junk but then all of a sudden you’ll find out you’re past the block.
I’ve used both. (1) works better for some people, (2) for others. Neither works particularly well for me though. 😃
Another thing I’ve done is write but on some completely different topic.
Keep writing.
You can try
Quit thinking you have writers block and do something new or go someplace new. Or there’s ….
Sleep deprivation
Fasting
Always email yourself every little word or[ idea under the heading of your story, song or? Then circle back later when you’re feeling empty
Classical music
Meditation music
Prayer and or deep meditation
Watch children play, watch birds
Ask or write down asking with intent for guidance. 3 times before going to sleep then shutting off your brain to all thoughts til you wake up finding yourself inspired.
Hang around smart people that can talk beyond sports, politics, movies and other useless subjects that do little for creativity.
Walks in nature where you discipline your thinking into emptiness and only allow yourself to focus on observations of the smallest things before you. Make yourself tiny and see tiny things. Using binoculars to look at moss for instance.
Don’t ever think your ideas only come from yourself
I have more but am having writers block right now
Four suggestions. Not answers, just suggestions.
1 When you write, play some gentle background music (without lyrics) that you never play unless you are at your writing. It will take a while but eventually the two will get connected in your mind, and then playing the music will help unblock you.
2 Sit down and write without worrying about whether it’s good or not.
3 Write notes about what you’re writing. This is very helpful with fiction. Ask yourself “where are we going with this?” or “what is this character all about, and what’s his weakness?” The notes you write can help you work things out, and cultivate new ideas.
4 Read a thesaurus.
Pick up a legal size yellow tablet and just start writing no editing, no thought, and/or self criticism. Just write. Stream of conscientiousness - - whatever. After 30 minutes put it down. Primes the pump...
Write. Sit in front of the keyboard and type whatever comes to mind. Might be gibberish but eventually something worthwhile is going to pop out.
When I am NOT feeling inspired to write, I do not. But I do not call it writer's block. I just walk away and DO NOT force it.
See, when I am inspired, I am "in-spirit." My spirit is with me...and when my spirit is with me, I promise there is absolutely nothing I cannot accomplish. If I am writing while in-spirit, inspired, everything just flows.
Unfortunately, we are human, and inspiration can be forced aside for a bit. Life gets busy, doesn't it? And sometimes our mind takes over and tells us we MUST write, or tries to tell us what we are writing is stupid and there's no reason to write. All of this "mindfullness" drowns out the voice of the spirit - the sheep of the mind bleats louder than the roar from the lion of our heart - our true spirit...our true self!
It will pass, and the spirit, your spirit, will again take over at some point. You'll know when it happens...when you just feel like nothing can stop you.
Again, just me, but when I try to write when not feeling inspired, the words come from my mind, and not from my heart...and you can tell. Or, at least I can.
I have seven books out there - I had to learn to walk away from the keyboard when it just wouldn't come. I knew it would come back...and when it did, I wrote until it waned again...and I walked away without concern.
Again, if it helps, look to your lion, your heart, and try to remember why you are writing. Do not let the sheep, the critical, fear-filled mind, do the writing when you're not inspired, in-spirit, to do so.
I have a backlog of about 1300 articles. I keep working on them.
Sometimes they become stale and obsolete, but many eventually develop into a complete article.
I also work on taking, editing, and categorizing digital pictures.
Bourbon, Kentucky Bourbon. Wild Turkey 101. 🥃
“How do you get past Writer’s Block?”
Have you tried the tunnels?
Now that April 15th has gone by, try calling H&R Writer’s Block.
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