If you're wondering, yes, I "drew" this stick figure comic many years ago. I used to suffer from severe bouts of writer's block. That was before I realized that writer's block doesn't really exist.
What's funny about this comic, is that we will go to such great lengths to find the 'cure' for writer's block, when we could have been writing that whole time!
I write about writer's block a lot because it is the main cause of any writers stress. Besides trying to get an agent or the dreaded editing process, but that's after the writing has already been completed.
I'm sure we all wish we could punch writer's block in the face and then squish it with a microwave. That would be just swell! But we can't. So what should we do instead?
WRITE.
I know, I know, right now you're probably like, "But I caaaaaan't! I don't know what to wriiiiiiiiiiiite! I have writer's blooooooooooock! Tell me how to get riiiiiiiiiiiiiiid of it!"
Ok, let me break it down for you: Think about your greatest fear. Think about time when you conquered that fear. Think about how awesome it felt when you realized how easy it was. Writer's block is a fear. Whatever the fear is that's keeping you from writing, you need to conquer it by writing.
No amount of punching it in the face or dropping microwaves on it will solve your problem. You can't just sit back and wait for it to go away, either. Because then you'll get lazy and even when the writer's block is gone, the lazyness now needs to get squashed.
It's a vicious cycle. So don't let it happen to you!
I don't care what you have to do to force yourself to write, but TAKE ACTION NOW and get those words on paper (or the screen)! Do NOT let writer's block beat you down!!
Need a little encouragement? I always, and will always, recommend: Write or Die
Now, I don't want to see you back here until you've written enough to break through that "writer's block" of yours!
Good luck!
by Morgan Barhart
The late Robert B. Parker said, "You wouldn't let a plumber tell you he couldn't come fix your toilet because he had plumber's block. Writing is hard. Do it."
ReplyDeleteTerry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
LOL. I love that! Exactly the same concept. :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's it--only stick figures get writers block. :D
ReplyDeleteHah! Exactly! ;)
ReplyDeleteI loved this post, Morgan. I have more of a Twitter addiction than a writer's block issue. But, I still remember the post you wrote with WriteorDie and I've not taken writer's block seriously since. It's just not real, no. But twitter addiction is real and it is serious... no, laughing matter. And it's fun whereas writing gets a bit lonely at times and with twitter you get instant gratification...
ReplyDeleteBut they tell me that tweeting is writing. Of course, I haven't asked bloggers or real writers, only people who use twitter.
Tweeting is dangerous! I can't stay off of it for more than an hour at a time! If that! Haha. It's baaaaad.
ReplyDeleteI used Write Or Die for NaNoWriMo last year- I wrote, and did not die.
ReplyDelete