[RiddleRose]: 298.The Wobbly Bits.May 2007 - Writer's Block

You know those days when you just can't write? When your keyboard seems to have molasses poured over it, and your notebook acts like it fell in a bowl of jell-o? Your pen is glued to the desk, and let's not even talk about the pencils. Your fingers just won't move, and your brain just won't tick, and every time you have a good idea, it just flies right out of your ear and off into the sunset.

We all know those days. We all have our own methods of dealing with them. Personally, I put aside whatever it is that I'm trying to work on, and start doing something else entirely. Often, reading a book will help you greatly, get your brain into a more literary mode, and relax your tensed muscles. Try going outside if it's a nice day, or calling a friend. Let your mind wander for half an hour, because most likely what is causing the block is stress over finishing whatever it is.

Writing is a release for many people, a way to get your thoughts out on paper, (or pixels, as the case may be). If it becomes stressful and difficult, something is wrong. Take a step back, and look at what is bothering you. Is it a character that just won't do what you want it to? Well maybe that character shouldn't be doing that. Maybe you should assign that particular task to another character, who might do it better. Is it a bit of dialogue that sounds false? Try saying the words out loud, or adding dialect to make it more realistic.

Remember that whatever you write doesn't have to be perfect first try. In fact, it shouldn't be. Editing is a very important skill in a writer, and is, in and of itself, almost half of the writing process. No matter how good you are, there are always ways to do it better. That's why professional authors all have editors who review and revise their books. So if you find yourself stuck, just write whatever drivel comes out, and fix it later. Make it stunningly bad. Have fun making it bad! You can go through with a pickax later, and laugh at yourself a little, as you demolish and rewrite. You might even discover, hidden within the garbage, something new and exciting, that you might never have found.

Don't be afraid of writer's block. It happens to everyone, sooner or later. Be it and essay, a poem, a story, or just an experiment, it will eventually throw up a block for you to bump into. When that happens, you just have to work around it, work over it, tunnel through it, and then blow it up spontaneously, using wet hay and an old lighter. In short, it may be writer's block, but it's still your own personal writer's block, and therefore you can do with it whatever you like.