I didn’t even know what writer’s block was until I was almost thirty when I decided to join my first writer’s group. I had to pretend I knew about this “sickness” and then I went home and looked it up. Even after reading the description, I still couldn’t understand and to this day still don’t believe in it.
Yet, it’s just like have multiple personalities. Some people believe it can happen to people, others don’t. I know that’s a far reaching metaphor, but the idea of having writer’s block to me, I’ve never been a believer in writers block and I don’t think I ever will.
Knock on wood, I feel I will always have a story to tell, interesting characters and research to wound around all of this.
I’m often asked how do I find things to write about all the time. I know my brain and when the creative juices feel like they run low, there are exercises I to do get my muse going on full charge again.
1. Music
2. stagnant projects or repetitious movements
3. Research
4. reading or hearing about other peoples’ problems
5. long terms of no contact or intimacy – it sounds odd, but the more I’m by myself the more I can think of good writing scenes. I really understand Monk when he says It’s a gift …. and a curse. Sometimes in order or me to be a good writer, I have to isolate myself from people and the world to really appreciate and scribe what I’m feeling. This loneliness, although it may cause bouts of genius prolific writing from me, does lead to a severe depression after my writing bout is over because I seem to desperately yearn for what I’ve written. My readers love that but for me, it’s like coming out of a closet after being in isolation too long. I loved and hated the time I was there.
6. walking away from the project. just stopping and doing nothing for the project except maybe take notes here and there or not trying to think about it helps me a lot.
I know my methods may probably sound odd to you, but I do these things to help my creativity flow better when I’m working on a story.
I’d love to hear yours so leave a comment if you got one or lets hear about your literary struggles.
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