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Ray Bradbury once said if you’re a writer and you’re blocked, well, you’ve picked the wrong subject then, haven’t you? At least he had a subject. For me, writer’s block was never so much about stalling in the midst of writing a story as the lack of a story idea.

Until the late winter of 2013, I had never suffered from writer’s block. If anything, I was a bit of a snob, doubting that writer’s block even existed. I thought it was an excuse on the part of writers to keep from doing their jobs – you know: The Work. I’d written hundreds of features as a journalist for a daily newspaper, and then after seguing into fiction, dozens of short stories and two novels, and they had all come easily to mind. I couldn’t fathom a loss of inspiration, and then one day my mind went blank: I had no clue what to write next. In desperation, I scoured my Idea File – a manila folder crammed with notes, photographs, newspaper clippings – even etchings on fast-food napkins – in the hope that a brilliant notion would sally forth. When it didn’t, I Googled my favorite topics: birds and birdwatchers and the American West, and visited my local library.

Yet after four months, nothing spoke to me. I began to wonder if my writing career was over. When I confided this fear to my writer friends, they said, “You’re tired, Renée, don’t be so hard on yourself. Take the summer off.” So I did. And the relief was immediate.

For weeks I did nothing more than tackle household chores and catch up on errands. I knew I’d made the right decision to take time off when I drove the speed limit day after day (o glorious leisure!), rather than race from the store to the bank and then home again, stressed that I hadn’t yet hit my word count.

But a funny thing happened during that down time: it calmly and quietly occurred to me that if I couldn’t think of a story to tell, I could tell someone else’s story. I selected a favorite, John Cheever’s “The Swimmer,” and labored to make it my own. About a month after that, I also spotted an intriguing photo on Facebook, which inspired the premise for my new novel. It seemed that giving myself permission to breathe again had recharged my batteries, but even so, I moved forward cautiously. I signed up for a workshop led by a local writer, Jodi Angel, author of You Only Get Letters from Jail. Jodi is straight-forward, articulate, and utterly devoid of the flowery compliments writers give one another. She’s also a believer in prompts – or windows, as she calls them. I’d never written to windows, and doubted this plan would work for me. Still, I was determined to learn something new, and so I forged ahead. Over the next six weeks, my workshop-mates and I wrote 1,000-word stories based on the following prompts:

• A winter coat in summer. (My first stab at writing a piece in first-person; I had to assume the point of view of a dog, just to get through it.)
• The color yellow. (This endeavor produced a slightly more daring piece on Disney inkers and painters. Side note: Disney inkers were all women in the Snow White era, earning roughly $18 per week to a male animator’s $300.)
• Intense clarity. (At this point we were halfway through the workshop, and I was getting bolder. I wrote a story about a robber who abandons his friends in the Oregon desert, thwarting his own arrest.)
• Disappointment. (This assignment induced panic on everyone’s part, since Jodi asked us to write in second person. I wrote a short-short from Pete Best’s point of view, regarding his sacking by the Beatles.)
• On week five, each writer was given a different genre, with a specific location and an article, which we were asked to incorporate into the story. My assignment: sci-fi / drug-rehab center / wig. (I wrote about a dog who morphs into a woman, in order to kill a killer.)
• In this, our last prompt, we were each assigned a random sentence from a different novel. My sentence: “She had cut her wrist with a knife.” (This produced a piece about a misfit genius.)

What I’ve learned from all of this – the writer’s block, the letting go, the need to embrace a new writing practice – is that it’s crucial to be as kind to myself as I am to others, and to cut the ties of judgment. In moving forward, I now have a strategy to deal with writer’s block: follow Jodi’s lead and pick a word or a sentence – any sentence – and know it will take me where I need to go: from paralysis to action.

Renée Thompson’s latest novel is THE PLUME HUNTER (Torrey House Press, 2011). She has placed in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition on three occasions, most recently taking 2nd place for mainstream/literary fiction. She has new stories forthcoming from Crossborder and Chiron Review. Find Renée at reneethompson.com.

It’s Author Interview Thursday and I’m happy you’ve joined me for another exciting adventure with our special guest. I got introduced to our featured author by Sharon Ledwith. Now let it be known that any author friend of Sharon is a friend of mine. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know our guest on the hot seat over the last few months. I believe she’s living proof that you don’t need to go to a deserted island with 3-eyed aliens and clouds made of candy floss to get ideas. The idea for your next book could be right under your nose or maybe a few feet above your head. She writes in different genres and has so much to share with us. So please join me in welcoming Sara Shafer.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the first time someone complemented you on something you had written?

As a kid, I used to write a family newsletter for my relatives, and my grandma would share it with her friends. So, I was receiving compliments on my writing by the time I was ten, although the sources were completely biased! But whether I received praise or not, I simply loved to be writing, and I still do!

What can a reader expect when they pick up a book written by Sara Shafer?

A reader can expect to find a fun, engaging story about a character (human or animal) they can identify with and root for. My books always have happy endings that will make the reader believe they too can succeed despite the odds as long as they are brave enough to try.

You have three published books in a series about the bravest squirrel. Was it a conscious decision to write a series and what led you to do it? 

I originally intended The Bravest Squirrel Ever as a single book. In fact, the original title was “Stuck in the Attic,” because—yep—we had squirrels stuck in our attic! But then Pippi had two siblings who needed their own stories, so I had to write sequels. Now that Pippi, Max and Lana are legends of bravery, their cousins and neighbourhood squirrels all feel the need to prove their bravery too, so I definitely have a series on my hands.

Not many people may know this Sara but you write in different genres. Can you tell us of any major challenge this situation presents and how you overcome it?

The biggest challenge is that my reading audiences are completely difference. My Sara Daniel romances are adult books. Most of those readers read my books on their digital devices. And I can reach them through social media, my blog and newsletter. My Sara Shafer books are for kids, most of whom are still exclusively reading print books. This spring, I made The Bravest Squirrel series available in print in an effort to better meet the needs of my young readers, and I will do this with each new book in the series going forward.

Do you believe in writer’s block and what do you do to overcome it?

Writer’s block for me occurs when something is not going right with my plot. So, when I’m stuck and can’t make the story move forward, it’s a signal to me to back up and see where I got off track and figure out how to fix it.

What is your definition of success as an author?

Success is being able to do what I love every day, which is write, as well as connecting readers with my books. Money, literary awards, and hitting the best sellers lists are all fabulous things that I wouldn’t turn down, but success to me is a much more personal and self-fulfilling goal.

What have you found to be a successful way to market your books? 

I have found that giving away a gift card is always a popular way to get people’s attention, so you’ll find the Rafflecopter form below where you can enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card. Word of mouth is so important, so I do give away books for people to take a chance on and then hope they will love the stories enough to recommend them to their friends and family.

What were some of your favourite books as a child?  

I adored Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series, and I read the books over and over until my copies were ragged.

What book or film has the best dialogue that inspires you to be a better writer and why? 

Any book where I’m picturing the characters speak the words, rather than “seeing” the words on the page shows that the author is handling the dialogue right. Judy Blume’s dialogue in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing always made me feel like I was living each scene with Peter and his little brother Fudge.

Toy Story or Shrek?

Toy Story: I love the sense of family, the emotional growth of the characters and their thrilling, ridiculous, and memorable adventures—with humour that both children and adults will enjoy!

Can you tell us something most people don’t know about squirrels? 

Squirrels have four toes on their front paws and five toes on their back paws, so they have eighteen toes all together. Who knew? I didn’t, until I started researching for The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest. You can read some other interesting facts here: http://www.sarashafer.com/Squirrel_Fun.html

What three things should a first time visitor to your home town do?

I live near Chicago, and there are so many possibilities. First, take an architectural tour of the city. Seriously, I did this on high school field trip, and if teenagers can be impressed by architecture (and still remember it more than twenty years later), it’s got to be good! Go take your picture by the “Bean” in Millennium Park, and you’ll have the entire Chicago skyline in the reflection. If you’re into baseball, catch a game at Wrigley Field. This year is the stadium’s hundred year anniversary.  And of course, you can always walk or jog or just people-watch along the lake front. I think that’s more than three!

What can we expect from Sara Shafer in the next 12 months?

I plan to have another Bravest Squirrel book out this fall. Chaz is absolutely dying to prove how brave he is! Ideally, I’d like to follow up with another brave squirrel adventure by the end of the year, but it always seems like I have more ideas than time, so we’ll see!

Where can readers and fans connect with you?

Website: www.sarashafer.com

Blog: http://sarashafer.blogspot.com

Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/SaraShaferDaniel

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/SaraDanielSaraShafer

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SSaraDaniel

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PPEDSU

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5271281.Sara_Shafer

Any advice for authors out there who are either just starting out or getting frustrated with the industry?

You have the power to take your career in your own hands. If you don’t like the direction you’re headed, in today’s publishing environment, you can make things happen on your own if you don’t have a publisher willing to support you. But be prepared for a lot of work and a lot of responsibility. An author in today’s world does so much more than simply write. You’re running your own business.

Thanks for ending on such a powerful note Sara. I believe every author regardless of if they’re traditionally or self published have to roll their sleeves and take a strong interest in every aspect of the publication and marketing of their books. Be sure to connect with Sara at one of the links she provided and you can also enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card by entering the competition below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s Author Interview Thursday and I’m so glad you’ve joined us today. This is a particularly special week as its Children’s Book Week. Many authors, publishers, bookstores, bloggers and children are doing various things to celebrate this special week. I’ve joined a super group of authors, publishers and bloggers who are donating gift cards, books and other prizes in a Kidlit Giveaway Blog Hop. You can read about all about it and my special gift HERE. Our special guest today is a part of this blog hop and she has a special something, something for you that will be revealed in our interview today. As I’ve gotten to know our featured author over the last few months, I’ve been impressed with her big heart and support for the writing community. She is a moderator for one of the Facebook groups that I belong to and her warmth plus fountain of knowledge fosters an atmosphere for sharing and growth. I got introduced to her by Sharon Ledwith and I’m so glad she made the introduction. She writes in several genres and I feel honored to have the opportunity to pick her brains today. So without further ado, please join me in welcoming Ann T. Bugg.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the first time someone complemented you on something you had written?

My first writing related memory happened in the 3^rd grade. My teacher read my short story to the class then said, “You’re going to be a writer someday.” I don’t even remember what the story was, but I’m sure my mom has it somewhere. The first book in this series is the first thing I’ve ever really written. My daughter reading it as I completed each chapter and the nagging to hurry and write more was all the inspiration I needed to keep going.

What can a reader expect when they pick up a book written by Ann T. Bugg?

They are sure to recognize a familiar tale with a fun new twist. Fairy tales re-told have always been my favorite stories. Add the sass of two best friends that could not be any more opposite, and hopefully the reader will walk away with a few laughs.

You have five published books in the ‘Before Happily Ever After’ series. Was it a conscious decision to write a series and what led you to do it?

Truthfully, no. I wrote number one for my daughter for fun. I never expected to see the end of it, let alone 8 more come of it. The series is actually based on my daughter and her best friend. It was amazingly easy to use their personalities to create the characters of Valerie and Samantha and stretch it tale after tale with fun characters that we all know and love. The series sat for years on my laptop. When my daughter was 14 and created the cover for #1, I finally got serious about getting them published.

Not many people may know this Ann but you write in different genres. Can you tell us of any major challenge this situation presents and how you overcome it?

I don’t feel it’s a challenge at all. The books are totally separate, and I only ever do one at a time. I don’t need to stop and put on the different writer hat. The crazy hat is always on. The girls and their personalities make it easy to add life to my middle grade characters. With my women’s fiction, my characters always run the show. I’ve never outlined or detailed out A to Z. It somehow always falls into place. I see your next question, so I’ll explain more there.

Do you believe in writer’s block and what do you do to overcome it?

I’ve never had writer’s block * knock on wood *. I think it’s because the way my writing process works. All of my novels have sparked from one small idea and have exploded from there. Four sequels I never planned on writing came about from fan’s e-mails. I have always let my characters take the wheel. If I’ve ever thought it would end one way, they told me, “Nope. This is how it’s going to be, lady.” Some people will say “you have no control”, others will say “that’s when you know your story has really taken shape”. I say everyone has to do what works for them. I can only imagine writer’s block comes when you want to get somewhere and can’t see how to make it happen. So yes, I believe it can happen and have heard from a lot of frustrated writer friends, but with how I work, it doesn’t happen. I never have expectations of what will happen, we just get there together! My poor family will just have to endure me shouting things like, “You play the piano? That would have been nice to know five chapters ago!” and “You have a twin sister? Thanks for the info!”

What is your definition of success as an author?

The biggest thing for me is fan mail. If I touched someone enough that they feel they want to write and tell me how much they liked it, that’s pretty big in my book. Of course a front table at Barnes and Noble would be great, but touching readers is the bottom line.

What have you found to be a successful way to market your books?

Working at it constantly is what it takes, and I’m extremely guilty of slacking since our move. I’ve never been the greatest at “tooting my own horn”. Lately I’ve been trying to go after reviewers, hoping that good old “happy word of mouth” helps. I think everyone is getting drowned out in Facebook groups and lost in the steam at Twitter, so I don’t hold much hope in social media. GoodReads giveaways are nice and the 99¢ deals do give a great sales boost.

What were some of your favourite books as a child? 

I was a horse book gal. Misty of Chincoteague was a memorable one.

Toy Story or Shrek?

Gah! Tough call. I guess I’d have to say Shrek with all the great Fairy Tale twists.

What three things should a first time visitor to your home town do?

Go somewhere else. Sorry – just getting out of an extremely bad winter here. (19 inches of snow in the SPRING!) Not a fan of Minnesota right now (although there is a great outlet mall down the road.) Taylor’s Falls isn’t too far away. It’s very beautiful. The first time we drove though, I felt like I was driving into a story book! Lots of lakes just a stone’s throw away from my house. If fishin’ is your thing, you’re in luck!

What can we expect from Ann T. Bugg in the next 12 months?

I try to get at least two middle grade and two women’s fiction out a month. There are currently only 9 in the Before Happily Ever After series (8 and a prequel that may or may not make it…) My daughter has been nagging for me to take it to the Young Adult level and keep going, but I’m not sure. I have too many women’s fiction in the finishing stages. I will keep you posted though!

Where can readers and fans connect with you?

My middle grade website: http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/

Middle grade FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AnnTBugg

My women’s fiction website: http://www.junekramin.com/

Women’s fiction FB fan page: http://www.facebook.com/JuneKramin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/junekramin

Any advice for authors out there who are either just starting out or getting frustrated with the industry?

My stock answer is if it’s really what you want, don’t give up. I can’t count how many times I’ve said, “I’m done!” I believe the first time was right before my first acceptance letter showed up. There are only a few things that may be harder than trying to break into this industry. It’s a constant battle to keep yourself out there. I get asked a lot of the same question from various friends who are silly enough to think they want to write. I have started a “TIPS” page on my women’s fiction website and try to update it often. http://www.junekramin.com/tips

Thanks for having me!

It was a pleasure having you today Ann. I really agree with and feel the same way about you on your view on success as an author. To have someone who you’ve never met in your life, be so impacted by your words and story that they decide to get in touch with you is truly a blessing. OK, like I said at the start of this interview, Ann has something special for us today. You can read all about it at the link below

http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/Blog

Also, the first book in her ‘Before Happily Ever After’ series is FREE today! Click the link below to grab your copy.

Through the Window and Into Snow

Pesky apostrophes. Writer‘s Block affects one person but we all know WB affects all writers at some point so maybe Writers‘ Block is more accurate. So how to cope with it? Easy. Never pick up a pen again and become a hermit atop … Continue reading →

First another rant. Just returned from a coffee shop for a quick caffeine pick-me-up and once again encountered a coffee mug related problem. As a writer, a coffee or tea break is an important tool in the thinking process. If and whenever possible, I opt for a 'real' china mug rather than a paper cup. Somehow, and maybe it's my imagination, hot beverages including tea always seem to retain better flavor in a non-paper receptacle.

At this particular chain, customers are given a mug in which to pour their own coffee with unlimited refills. As the server handed over the mug, couldn't help but notice that the rim was slightly chipped.

ME
Excuse me but this mug is chipped

There was a thirty second silence between us while we stared into each other's eyes. Sort-of a coffee-shop-stare-down. Glancing down, she grabbed another mug, passed it to me and took off to chat with another server.

Meanwhile, walking over to fill up the mug with coffee, I saw there were stains inbedded on the sides.

ME TO SERVER
This mug is stained. See? Look at the sides...

SERVER
(grabbing another mug absent-mindedly)
This is as good as it's gonna get.

Let's just say it was passable but only just. 'As good as it's gonna get?' That's a good explanation?

The problem, in my humble opinion, is that a large portion of coffee drinkers have opted to be satisfied with a paper cup. We have turned into a population of mobile coffee drinkers who prefer to walk while they drink, rather than take the time to sit down and experience the pleasure of sipping coffee from a proper drinking receptacle. Proper drinking mugs and cups are becoming obsolete and coffee shops focus on their paper cup customers. Rant over and back to the real heart of the situation.


In spite of a concerted effort to work on my playwriting, my brain seems to be neutral. In assessing the situation, I'm thinking here that perhaps it's due to my physical location away from home base where ideas and dialogue seem to flow endlessly. Not that the current atmosphere isn't conducive to writing but the change, at least for me, isn't for the better. In my normal setting, there is a window next to the computer set-up and somehow staring out of the window at the passing scene inspires the part of my brain that produces ideas and concepts. Most of my time these days is spent staring at the computer screen, accompanied by the occasional line or two, which is frequently deleted shortly thereafter. Presumably and hopefully, upon my return to my usual environment, the words will flow like water. Or not.

“I tell my students there is such a thing as ‘writer’s block,’ and they should respect it. You shouldn’t write through it. It’s blocked because it ought to be blocked, because you haven’t got it right now.”
—Toni Morrison

Yup.

Today I'm supposed to write about how sticking to a writing routine can save the day. Or not. That ties in perfectly to my January 4th post, in which I vowed to set a writing schedule for myself in an effort to find my way back into a middle grade novel project. I'd like to shout, "Yes! A schedule was exactly what I needed! I'm well into Chapter 5! Hallelujah!" That would be inspirational, wouldn't it? It would also be untrue.

For the first time in my writing life (16 years), I entered a new year feeling overwhelmed by the number of projects awaiting my attention. Hmm. Could I work on the novel for two hours per day, fitting other writing in around it? No. Turns out that, like Mary Ann, scheduled writing time makes me itchy. Plus, I'm much happier and more productive when focusing on one project at a time.

For a few weeks there, I just avoided my office. That led to many late-night struggles with monkey mind - our pastor's apt description for when you can't sleep because your thoughts keep jumping from one problem to another. Especially worrisome were three picture book projects editors were waiting for (no rush, but still). Throw in the same real life chores/business/family stuff we all deal with and you have enough stress to set anybody's teeth to grinding.

What finally worked to get me back on track was my old friend, list making. Prioritizing. And, hold the phone...what was that hovering down there at #6? Yep, the novel. So I've put it aside and begun chipping away at those projects higher on the list. And I've seen actual results.
                    1) A nonfiction picture book proposal is almost ready to go out the door.
                    2) A fiction pb has been tweaked per an editor's suggestions.
                    3) My messy pile of writing-related receipts stuffed into a drawer and ignored through most of 2012, otherwise known as "important stuff my husband's  going to ask for any minute while he gets tax info together," is now collated and  duly recorded and in perfect order. (He may faint.)

And I'm feeling much, much better about the situation. As are my jaws.

Routine has saved the day, at least in part. I spend most mornings in my office, chipping away at that list. For me, though, balance is imperative. So I opened another creative outlet. Months ago, I picked out fabric* for a quilt I wanted to make. I finally sketched a design, calculated the pieces I'd need, and got to work. Piecing a quilt, unlike writing, lets me see results quickly. I think - no, I know - that those afternoons in my basement sewing studio have been therapeutic.

The last few months I have been blaming writer’s block on a physical issue that was causing ongoing pain and exhaustion. Surgery fixed the issue recently—but unfortunately, the block remained.

I tried all my old tried-and-(mostly)-true methods of breaking a block. I assumed the cause stemmed from some lazy habits I picked up in 2012.

I just needed to crack down on myself, right? Whip myself into shape!

Things I Tried That Failed

I tried. Honestly, I did. I used the Promodoro Method of writing for 25 minutes and resting 5 minutes. I tried changing locations, cutting distractions by writing in the library study where I had no access to the Internet or TV.

I worked in the mornings, my optimal writing time. I got back on the treadmill, exercising to clear my foggy brain. I made elaborate spreadsheets of long- and short-term word quota goals to hold myself accountable.

None of these ideas worked. Panic threatened.

How had I ruined my writing discipline in less than a year?

Wrong Diagnosis Equals Wrong Solution

This past year as my health got worse, I tried to diagnose the cause. I ate much better, I exercised, I limited time online, I limited social outings… Nothing worked. Why? None of those things actually addressed my night-time severe headaches, which turned out to be caused by “acute angle glaucoma.” The solution was laser surgery on both eyes to eliminate the pressure. Voila! Problem solved!

What does that have to do with writer’s block? Just this.

Writer’s block creates a similar problem. It has many causes, so a one-size-fits-all solution…doesn’t fit all. (I should have known this! My article “A Block by Any Other Name” deals with this very subject.)

Writer’s Block Outside the Box

One author gives a very interesting twist to the problem. Cec Murphey in Unleash the Writer Within says writer’s block can be your friend. He poses a couple of questions:

• What if writer’s block is a symptom and not a cause of the problem?

• What if writer’s block comes from some wise, inner part of myself that wants to help me?

Writer’s block is a blockage you can’t seem to push past. Cec Murphey suggests that you ask yourself: What is going on inside me that stops me from writing? (Then wait for the answer.)

Think of writer’s block as a gift, Murphey says, a powerful force to help you regulate the creative process. It comes from within and has something to teach you.

Pay attention, wait, and listen.

The “Friendly” Writer’s Block

So how did that idea work for me? Beautifully, actually.

I tried it, and it took a couple days of waiting until I realized the problem. I had done tons of character and theme work on my novel outline, but my plot was thin. And since it is a mystery, the weak plot is a big deal.

There was no point in pushing through the block and forcing myself to write. I had a fully clothed mannequin of a novel outline, but much of the underlying skeleton (structure) was weak.

Right Diagnosis = Right Solution

Once I realized the reason for the block, I knew what to do. It took a week, but additional research provided a great plot twist and another subplot. Writer’s block was my friend, as it turned out.

It’s a new way to look at a writer’s age-old problem. And I think it’s going to be my first line of defense after this.

“But I don’t want to fail again.”

I’ve said it to myself often enough. Students over the years have said that to me countless times. That fear of failure often happens when  it is time to set goals or start a new project.

“It is wise to make a plan,” says creativity coach, Eric Maisel, author of Coaching the Artist Within. “However, since we make so many resolutions and break them, set so many goals and fall short of realizing them, and create so many plans without following through on them, we become reluctant to plan. We prefer not to plan so as not to disappoint ourselves one more time.”

I’m at that point this week, looking at two novels I worked on last year that I simply couldn’t make “work.” I started them over several times, trying different angles, but no luck. I still like the ideas a lot, but I find myself leery of making one more stab at them. I’m afraid of wasting my writing time and having nothing to show for it. I’m more than leery. I’m stuck.

One of Maisel’s solutions is to make a simple plan. He says to leave out the complexities that just make things harder. His idea of a simple plan is: I will try to write every day. (No rules or details, no set number of pages, no word count, etc.) Or even better, I plan to write today. But is that enough? Not for me.

A Simple Plan

A simple plan is well and good, but getting started is still the hardest part (for me anyway) when facing a project where fear of failure is high. (It doesn’t have to be writing the Great American Novel either. It can simply be a project I’ve “failed” on before.)

We want to change an action here—get started and keep going. It’s often not as simple as “just do it!” though. We have to back up and change the fearful emotion that drives the writer’s block and procrastination. And to do that we have to back up and change the thought that creates the emotion.

Sometimes changing your thoughts is enough to get you going. But repeating “thoughts” or “affirmations” that some articles suggest (like “I am the country’s best writer, and agents are fighting to represent me”) are just absurd to me. My brain, anyway, kicks something like that right back out. I simply don’t believe it. If I did, I wouldn’t be stuck.

What’s the Answer?

We need to back up one additional step. Your automatic thoughts come from your beliefs about yourself as a writer. The beliefs need to change before you will think healthy thoughts, that flow into healthy writing emotions, and then produce good actions (writing). I think beliefs need to be true, though, for them to be of immediate use to you.

If you are believing a pack of lies (like “I’ll never write any better” and “You have to know someone in publishing to sell a novel”) then start with the lies you are believing and replace them with truth. One good source for this is another of Maisel’s books, Write Mind: 299 Things Writers Should Never Say to Themselves (and What They Should Say Instead).

The Proc

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I wish I’d had this writing book thirty years ago when I started out. I would have avoided some pitfalls and loooong detours that have taken years to correct.

If you want a writing mentor, you need look no further than Cec Murphey’s Unleash the Writer Within. The subtitle calls it ”the essential writers’ companion.”

I would have to agree.

What’s Different About This Book?

It’s honest, it’s transparent, and it comes from the heart. It also made me laugh on more than one occasion because the author had the guts to say some things that need to be said about the writing life, how we market, and so many other topics dear to a writer’s heart.

Before you get stressed out and caught up in all the things “they say” you have to do and be and write about to be successful, I urge you to get a copy of this book. It will help you discover your own personal voice and style so you sound authentic. It will show you how to actually make friends with your inner critic and writer’s block–and eliminate them. And the author deals so honestly with a writer’s fears–and how to use them and learn from them to grow as a writer.

Who Is This Man?

So who is Cecil Murphey? Why should you listen to his advice? Well, he’s a New York Times’ best-selling author who’s written or co-written more than 120 fiction and nonfiction books, including the runaway bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. His books have sold millions of copies and have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Just to give you a taste of the book, below are some quotes from Unleash the Writer Within by Cecil Murphey:

• “Too many want-to-be-successful authors get the idea that you must write in a certain way to succeed.”
• “Your most honest writing becomes your best writing.”
• “I don’t advocate rigid self-discipline. I tried that. For years, I held to tight schedules, refused to allow deviations, and castigated myself when I failed. I’ve since learned that true self-discipline flows out of gentleness and self-respect.”
• “How would it affect your writing if you weren’t constantly looking at your faults but focusing on what you can do?”
• “You write best what you know best. The better you know yourself, the higher the quality of your work.”
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Is your writing project bogged down? What happened to your inspiration? Things aren’t “going well”? It may sound too dramatic to call it “writer’s block,” but it is.

Reconsider

When I’m stuck, I tend to think that I’ve tried everything, but nothing has worked. That is always a wrong assumption. There’s always an angle I haven’t yet considered. There is always other (or new) information that I haven’t factored into the equation. A writer’s block is often a mental rut.

What to do then? If the writing task you’re working on right now is going badly or at a standstill, just stop.

Writer’s Block Revisited

Get up and walk away. Do some jumping jacks. Take some deep breaths and stretch. Move to another place in the house to write. Do what is necessary to wake up your brain. And then…think about your writing project again.

BUT instead of starting where you left off, pick up the work in a completely different spot. If you’re stuck in the middle, skip to the end (or vice versa). If you’re bogged down in the middle, go back to your original notes and character sketches and the opening to get re-inspired. Do some background research for your characters. Interview your characters and ask them what they think the problem is! (This actually worked for me to get unstuck.)

Think Again

Your brain may feel frazzled and dried up, but in reality, you’re using many fewer brain cells at any given time than you have available to you. So dig a bit deeper and engage a few more brain cells. Look at your writing problem from another angle. Come at it from another direction.

Our brains are fascinating things. They will often serve up to us exactly what we expect. If we expect to stay blocked, we will–and quit for the day. If we understand that we just need to look at the problem another way–upside down, reversed order–there’s an answer.

When writer’s block attacks you, don’t grit your teeth and keep pushing ahead like a bull dozer. Stop. Back up. Walk around the problem a few times. Find another port of entry: move to another place on your time line, describe a different character, add more depth to descriptions of places or characters, or brainstorm on paper about the worst thing that could happen in a scene.

Use more brain cells. Think again.

Other Resources

If you need more ideas for dealing with writer’s block, try these places:

“Top Ten Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block”

“The 10 Types of Writer’s Block and How to Overcome Them” (very good)

“A Block by Any Other Name”

And never fear that you’re alone with this writerly disease. There is even a Writer’s Block Festival, which was held this past weekend!

I have a confession to  make. Over the past six months I have struggled to write. I have some excuses - a time consuming day job, a relocation, growing kids, living apart from my beloved during the week - the list goes on. But in spite of all this, I've managed to still watch TV, play games, go for walks - lots of things that are ostensibly less important to me than writing. It's as if the

I'm trying a new approach, we'll label it How I Write Method 230. As most of you know, I had a wander along the corridors of Writers Block a couple of weeks ago and to help combat it (and to ensure I don't sit down to a blank screen), I'm building my ideas before I start to write them. And then, in the case of my just completed short story (Glimpses of Beauty through Bleached Bone - 3700 words), I may write some stories out of order. That is, when I'm stuck, I'm jumping to another scene where I know what happens. It worked for Beauty. So today, I am working on building a new short story something to do with perfume and balloons and the Devil.

In other news, there are just 3 copies of Nowhere Hall left. Thank you so much to everyone who has pre-ordered the chapbook. Three copies!!!

I believe I am regularly visited by the dreaded writer's block. But, for me, it rarely looks like what a block might. Do I have writer's block because it can be a part of the natural creative process--a nonlinear path to creativity? Yes, I believe so. But I think I try to handle writer's block creatively.
For me, I often question if I have a block or if it is writer's block masquerading as procrastination (or sheer laziness has crossed my mind)? Sure, I could get up and write each morning before my children are up...but maybe I'll just read more of this book into the wee hours and sleep through that productive morning quiet. Or I'll eat up my creative writing time bu making a list...or two. Over the years, I have convinced myself that my writer's block is essentially productive. After all, on a regular basis, utilizing the "writing" techniques that I've mastered, I've straightened my desk, organized and re-organized my files, and run all sorts of virtual clean ups on my computer. My favorite technique at putting off a writing project is looking for the one book I can't live without at that moment. If I didn't seem so desperate, I think my husband would find a comfortable corner and just watch me run about, looking for where I may have squirreled this "essential" book of the moment.
But it serves my purpose, most of the time. Instead of staring at a blank piece of paper, my mind is whirring, trying to help me figure out a way to approach the subject I want to write about.
While my writer's block is real, it fortunately looks more like I'm being productive and not blocked.
How about you? Do you have writer's block and what do you do about it?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor in North Carolina. She is the Wilmington-area representative for the NC Writers' Network.

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After a couple months this spring of unexpected work and lack of sleep, I’ve found myself battling severe procrastination the past few weeks. I’m getting rested up, but I’m so out of the writing habit that getting started has become a big issue.

Luckily I can usually find a resource on my own shelves!

(FYI: After you finish this post, you may want to read my article on writer’s block called “A Block by Any Other Name…”  at the Absolute Write website .)

A Different Take on Procrastination

One such resource is a book Kurt Vonnegut called “as well researched and helpful a book on writing as I’ve ever read.” It’s Write: 10 Days to Overcome Writer’s Block. Period. by Karen E. Peterson, Ph.D. [See Amazon's great used prices for this book!]

From the author’s website: “Writers want to write, but often find themselves whirling through cyberspace, glued to HBO with a box of doughnuts, careening off to the nearest Starbuck’s, and/or carving out last week’s fossilized spaghetti from the kitchen table.”

Sound familiar? This is what Dr. Karen E. Peterson— who has overcome writer’s block herself—calls ‘the write-or-flight response.’

Write? Or Flight?

In this revolutionary book, a psychologist and novelist presents an effective way to outwit writer’s block. Based on “new brain research and sound psychological principles,” this innovative program shows writers how to conquer writer’s block using:

• Exercises to conquer the “write-or-flight” response
• Techniques to create that elusive “writing mood”
• Parallel monologue and interior dialogue to jumpstart the writing process
• Checklists to see which side of the brain is blocking you

I fully recommend that little book because it worked for me. (I realize that it doesn’t mean it will work for you, but I think it’s worth a try if procrastination is an issue for you.) It explained the actual physical reasons why certain types of blocks occur–and what to do about them.

(Now, off to read “A Block by Any Other Name…” )

Before you go though, do YOU have a favorite block buster you could share?

Yesterday on a long Skype call, I talked with a writer friend about what fuels our writing.

For me, my favorite books (both in terms of the writing and how well they did after publication) were often fueled by some kind of pain or wound. Something difficult that I was going through (or one of my children) would spark an idea for a book, and the drive to solve the problem provided the passion and energy to see the story through to completion.

Negatives to Positives

Energy from hurts and wounds and pain can be very useful to you as a writer. But, if you’re just wounded, does that automatically translate into books others will want to read? No.

As Bill O’Hanlon says in Write is a Verb, “in order to have your wound fuel your writing process, the hurt or negative energy needs to be turned into creative energy, informing or driving your writing. It’s not enough to be wounded; you must find a way to turn that wound into energy for your writing.”

Pain = Energy for Writing

He quoted many authors (some quite famous) who had tragedies befall them, but they took the pain and turned around to write some of the most gripping books of our time on the very subject that nearly destroyed them.

It doesn’t have to be a wound the size of the Grand Canyon either (a child being kidnapped, losing your home in a hurricane, both parents dying from cancer the same month). It isn’t the size of the wound–it’s what you do with it that counts.

Just Let It All Hang Out?

In order for your pain to be useful to you as a writer, you’ll need to step back a bit and distance yourself from it. Otherwise you won’t be able to see the story possibilities in it. You’ll be too hung up on the facts. (”But it really HAPPENED this way!” you protest.) Yes, but facts need to be shaped a lot if you’re going to create a story or article or book from those facts. (The truth of your experience can shine through, despite changing some facts.)

Facts will need to change in order to create well-rounded characters, and the plot still needs a beginning, middle, climax and ending. Things will be added–and subtracted–from your experience to make a better story. If you can’t do that, you’re probably still too wounded to turn the experience into a viable story.

“Make no mistake. I have seen writing full of anger, self-pity, or hate that I think will never (and should never) be published,” says O’Hanlon. “They are simply expressions of the author’s pain, more like a journal entry than a book. They are self-indulgent and should be kept private… In order to turn that pain and anger into a book, the writing needs to somehow turn the personal into the universal.” In other words, the book needs to speak to other readers in a way that helps or nourishes them.

Identify Your Writing Energy

How can you tell if your pain and wounds might be energy for your writing? Here are four questions to ask yourself, suggested by the author. They can pinpoint sources of writing energy in your life just waiting to be tapped into.

• What do you care about so deeply or get so excited about that you talk about it to anyone who will listen?
• What upsets you so much that you are compelled to write about it or include the theme in your book?
• Wha
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[Writing goes in cycles. I am tempted to quit every few years! This weekend when I was particularly frustrated with a revision that isn't going well, I went back through my blog and found this. It helped me--and maybe it's worth repeating for you too. This is from several years ago...]

What’s the Use?

Yesterday I dragged myself to the computer, bone weary, body aching, and tired of my writing project. The last few weeks I’d increased my writing hours a lot to meet my (self-imposed) deadline.

I imagine part of it was not feeling well, but yesterday I looked at the almost complete project and thought, What’s the use? This actually stinks. I bet I’ve wasted the last six months on this.

I couldn’t make myself get to work. So I did what most good writers do when they want to look like they’re working, but they’re not: I checked email.

Rescuing My Writing Day

And thanks to Suzanne Lieurance from “The Working Writer’s Coach” and her “Morning Nudge,” my writing day was rescued. This is what she sent yesterday that got me back to work.

The life of a freelance writer can be very frustrating at times. There are so many things to do and not enough time to do them all. Or - the writing seems to be going nowhere and you just can’t make yourself sit down and write. You work and work, seemingly to no avail.

So you begin to wonder - What’s the point? Am I really getting anywhere? But know this. If you’re starting to feel frustrated because you think you’ve been working WAY too hard for the few results all this work has produced, you’re on the verge (even though it may feel more like you’re “on the edge”). You’re on the verge of creating some powerful momentum.

Stick with it…  So many people give up, just when they are on the verge of great success. Just when they start to feel really frustrated. Just when they feel nothing is going the way they want it to. If that’s how you’re feeling right now - celebrate! You’re on the verge of wonderful, great things! You’re on the verge of creating that powerful momentum that will move your writing career ahead to an entirely NEW and exciting level!

Today, relax and let go of that frustration, knowing you’re on the verge of great things. Try it!

I urge you to sign up today for Suzanne’s daily kick in the writing pants, “The Morning Nudge.” You’ll be glad you did!

When friends and family members ask what you want for Christmas this year, have a list ready!

Below are some of the best books for writers that I read (or re-read) recently. Any of them would be a great addition to your Christmas list! (HINT: read to the end of this post for a free e-book.)

Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld on how to craft a powerful story/book, one scene at a time.

The Fire in Fiction by agent Donald Maass discusses “passion, purpose and techniques to make your novel great.”

Writing It Right! by Sandy Asher, which I reviewed earlier here. If you want help with the nuts and bolts of revising, you’ll want this book.

A Writer’s Space by Eric Maisel on how to “make a room to dream, to work, and to write in.”

Write. 10 Days to Overcome Writer’s Block. Period. by Karen E. Peterson (the best book on writer’s block I’ve ever read).

Who Switched Off My Brain? and The Gift in You by Dr. Caroline Leaf, probably the best two nonfiction books I read this year. While not strictly about writing at all, they

Do you ever wonder if you’re a REAL writer? If you have doubts, it might be because you have a bad case of the “shoulds.”

Symptoms of the “shoulds” include:

• You should write first thing in the morning.
• You should write daily.
• You should keep a journal.
• You should write down your dreams every morning.
• You should have a room of your own and be organized!
• You should write for publication.

What if some of the “shoulds” just go against your grain? Are you not a real writer then? What if you write best after 10 p.m. instead of first thing in the morning? What if you start journals repeatedly and never last more than three days? What if you can’t remember your dreams? What if an organized office makes you freeze and you secretly prefer writing in chaos?

Are you a REAL writer then? YES!

What Am I Exactly?

If you struggle with your identity as a writer–if you don’t seem to fit the mold no matter how you’ve tried–you would love the book I found over the weekend. It’s called The Write Type: Discover Your True Writer’s Identity and Create a Customized Writing Plan by Karen E. Peterson, who wrote the best book on writer’s block I ever read.

This book takes you through exercises to find the real writer who lives inside you. You’ll explore the ten components that make up a writer’s “type.” They include such things as tolerance for solitude, best time of day to write, amount of time, need for variety, level of energy, and level of commitment. Finding your own personal combination of traits helps you build a writer’s life where you can be your most productive and creative.

Free to Be Me

To be honest, the exercises with switching hands (right brain/left brain) didn’t help me as much as the discussions about each trait. I could usually identify my inner preferences quite easily through the discussion. It gave me freedom to be myself as a writer. It also helped me pinpoint a few areas where I believed some “shoulds” that didn’t work for me, where I was trying to force this square peg writer into a round hole and could stop!

We’re all different–no surprise!–but we published writers are sometimes too quick to pass along our own personal experience in the form of “shoulds.” You should write first thing in the morning should actually be stated, It works well for ME to write first thing in the morning, so you might try that.

What About You?

Have you come up against traits of “real writers” that just don’t seem to fit you? Do you like to flit from one unfinished project to another instead of sticking to one story until it’s finished and submitted? Do you need noise around you and get the heebie jeebies when it’s too quiet?

If you have time, leave a comment concerning one or two areas where you have struggled in the pas

Want to know an easy way to think of both ideas for story conflicts and ideas for nonfiction? I read this idea in a newsletter by Angela Booth, and I wanted to pass it along.

People want to learn how to do things, how to solve things, and how to overcome problems.

Challenges in All Sizes

People have small problems and huge problems to overcome. They want to accomplish small things (organize an office), overcome medium challenges (potty train a toddler), and survive huge things (like being laid off from a job).

Do you write for kids? Just scale down the ideas. Children and teens want to organize their bedrooms, paper train a puppy, and survive their dad being laid off. Each “want to do” activity could be an article, a whole series of online articles, or the central plot of a book (either serious or humorous).

Technique to Generate Ideas

“Go to Google.com and enter ‘How do I’ with a VERB into the search query field. With the magic of Google Instant, you’ll get lots of ideas,” says Angela Booth.

For example, I entered “How do I make” (without quotes) and got:

• How do I make clear ice cubes like in a restaurant?
• How do I make my hair grow faster?
• How do I make an electromagnet?
• How do I make a pinewood derby car do faster? 

This doesn’t just generate ideas. It generates ideas that thousands of people are interested in! It generates topics for your writing that people want to read about. And many of the topics can be adjusted if you write for children and teens. (Example from above: a child may not care about making clear ice cubes for his dinner party, but it would make a great science fair project. And that science fair project can be a nonfiction article or a plot/subplot in your novel.)

See the possibilities? Try lots of verbs in your search, Googling “how do I build” and “how do I create” and “how do I quit” and so many others!

If you try this technique, give an example in a comment. I bet we could come up with some really unusual ideas this way!

(Read Regain the Passion–Part 1 first.)

So…when does passion flourish? Under what conditions?

First, a writer’s passion is generally at its highest point when life is going well. (Big surprise!) When relationships are smooth, health is good, there’s enough money to pay the bills, the writer is following a healthy diet and getting sufficient sleep: these are the optimal conditions.

Whatever is draining your passion needs to be attended to, thoroughly and persistently. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always bring back the passion. It simply sets the stage, giving yourself the optimal environment for your resurrected passion to grow.

Habits of a Passionate Writer

How do you recognize passion for writing? Yes, it’s a feeling, but it’s so much more. Each writer will exhibit certain habits when she is being passionate about her writing. These habits are individual and personal–and present in your life whether you feel passion or not. Take a moment to make a list of habits that (to you) marks a writer as passionate.

To me personally, a passionate writer:

A. writes, almost daily.
B. listens, observes and thinks—alert to her surroundings.
C. carries a notebook everywhere to jot down impressions, descriptions and ideas.
D. journals—daily, if possible.
E. is focused—begins and continues her writing with energy.
F. reads other good children’s books, both current and classics.
G. keeps up with professional reading.
H. shares her enthusiasm at conferences and workshops (but doesn’t over-schedule such events so they don’t interfere with writing).
I. leads a more secluded life than the average person, in order to nurture and explore her talent.
J. is physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually healthy.
K. is a 24-hour-a-day writer. Even when washing dishes or cutting grass, the passionate writer’s work is close at hand, on the edges of her mind. Everything she does is writing-related and life-related, so that her work and her life are inseparable.

Those are just my own personal ideas. Everyone is different. On Friday we’ll talk about practical ways to get the passion back. Before that, leave me a comment and tell me what a writer’s passion means to you.

Has this ever happened to you?

You’re half-way through a short story revision, or the rough draft of your novel, or the research for a biography—and without warning, you lose your desire for the project. The passion evaporates.

You feel lethargic, sad, and brain dead (or least oxygen deprived). You put your writing away for a few days, hoping it’s hormonal or a phase of the moon or post-holiday blues.

However, when you dig it out again, it’s even worse. It doesn’t grab you. You’re sure it won’t grab anyone else either! It’s boring. It goes back in the drawer.

Does Time Heal all Drafts?

Unfortunately, over the next few weeks, the situation worsens. Lethargy turns to apathy. Boredom turns to dislike. You face the fact that, for some reason, you’ve lost your burning desire to write this story—or maybe even write anything at all.

And without the passion, why bother to endure the long hours, the potential rejection of your work, and the low pay? Once it’s lost, how do you recapture your passion for writing?

What is Passion?

The question is summed up well by Hal Zina Bennett in Write from the Heart: “How do authors connect with that passion, bordering on obsession, that drives them to finish even the most ambitious writing projects in spite of seemingly insurmountable handicaps? What is the secret creative energy that the world’s best writers can apparently zap into action the moment their fingers touch their keyboards?”

Some say this passion is tied to how meaningful the writer feels his work is. He feels passion when what he is sharing is deeply meaningful. He may lose his passion when his writing turns into what will sell, what the markets dictate are current trends, and what pays the most money.

Eric Maisel in A Life in the Arts says, “The most salient difference between the regularly blocked artist and the regularly productive artist may not be the greater talent of the latter, but the fact that the productive artist possesses and retains his missionary zeal.”

Most writers would agree that a passion for writing involves enthusiasm, excitement, drive, and a deep love for your work. This passion makes writing a joyous occupation. It makes time fly while “real life” is shoved to the far comers of the mind. It’s being in the flow, enraptured in the present moment. For some, it’s being aware that they’re writers twenty-four hours a day.

Why Does Passion Dissipate?

Passion can spring a leak after too many rejection slips, too many critical comments from spouses or reviewers or critique partners, and too many crises to handle in your personal life.

Passion can also die when you repeat yourself in your work instead of exploring new avenues of writing.

Lack of passion can be caused by chronic fatigue. “Fatigue and the accompanying blockage also come with living the sort of marginal life that artists so often live,” says Eric Maisel. “The effort required to put food on the table, to deal with an illness without benefit of a hospital plan, to pay the rent, to get a toothache treated, to attend