The Authentic Life: What to Do when you have writer's block

Friday, May 26, 2017

What to Do when you have writer's block

Let's face it we all get writer's block sometimes. Perhaps it's only been a few days or more like months since one has written anything. Maybe it's just that you feel you are slightly rusty.

I tried to write something more to a chapter a few days ago and found I could only get a paragraph in. I had to open up my document and refresh my memory of my last chapter I had written to Loving Her Until Infinity (erotica version).

Yet, still I couldn't find myself writing very much. Felt I was at a loss for words that day. I'm hoping I'm able to write more to that today.

Sometimes when we get writer's block, the best thing to do is to write. Maybe nothing will come but there always seems to be something in what we surprise ourselves we are able to write.

I know for most of us, when we do get an attack of writer's block, we want to do everything but write. In my case, I resort to knitting. It's therapeutic and while I'm knitting I am thinking of writing. While I'm dreaming, I'm thinking of writing.

Everything but write. Today, it seems I am only writing here. I guess it's refreshing myself with blogging. Hadn't done it in a long time and realized how much I miss it. Even though I'm not earning from Google Adsense. My blog was disabled quite a few years ago. I've asked them to reinstate it today. Not sure if they will, but it's a stab in the dark.

Overcoming writer's block is like a stab in the dark. You have to retreat into the unknown to find out if there is anything there. If you don't try, you will not know what you have inside you to begin with. Everyone has something even if it's only a draft of low caliber. You've got to write in order to get better.

If you must, go get a bite to eat or a cup of coffee before setting down to write your heart out. Don't delay yourself too long or you won't do it. Like me yesterday. I delayed and did everything but write.

I hate it when I don't. I keep thinking to myself I could have written ten to twenty pages to something. And because I waited, the novel also waits. But it is there for when I come back to reconnect myself with what I wanted to say.

Stay away if you must. Sometimes we need a break from it. I break by knitting. Do what you must to find your much needed release.

There is always a hole in writer's block where the vessel pours out upon a new blank page. Do what is necessary.

Here's my retreat. Whenever I don't feel like writing, I knit or putter around on some other craft project. This was a pair of legwarmers and I think I have to change them to knitting cases as they didn't want to go over my right foot. It fit over my left but struggled with my right. I think it's the yarn I was using as another type of yarn I used to make these fits better.