Writer’s block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work or experiences a creative slow-down. This loss of ability to write and produce new work is not a result of commitment problems or the lack of writing skills. Wikipedia
How I Banish Writer’s Block
I’m going to share how I banish writer’s block. In fact, I’m going to blow the concept of “writer’s block” out of my perceptual universe. In my opinion, it doesn’t exist. I am back to writing and blogging after a short, but necessary break following an incredibly busy and challenging period at my primary job (you know, giving people drugs that make them unable to breathe for themselves and safely managing them while they have surgery). Regardless that I have a driving motivation to write, I’m not at my most creative when I’m tired. Instead of looking at this time as a period of writing failure or writer’s block, I choose to see it as time to think about my experiences and how challenges relate not only to my writing, but to my characters as well.
What Would Taryn Do?
If I’ve had a particularly long day, I ask myself how my protagonist, Taryn, from Shell Game, would handle it. Would she go for a hike in the woods of Seattle? Would she call her new love interest, Blake? Maybe she would simply have some quality time with her pooch, Maxx. Stay tuned for teasers about Taryn’s adventures. In the meantime, thinking of what she would do to banish writer’s block actually helps me succeed as well.
Perspective is one of those absolutely golden words and concepts when it comes to writing. Magic happens when you combine perspective in the optimal proportions with point of view, which has to do with first person, second person, third person…lots of writing technical stuff. The bottom line is that I chose to use the experiences and perspective I gained during a daunting work period to better imagine the world of my characters as I plan my next story. There are lots of crossover challenges that I experience and can now call upon to enrich the setting and experiences found within my books. In retrospect, it’s actually pretty cool.
Take Time to Breathe
I’ve also come to understand that a short pause in productivity is as necessary to the quality and importance of the work as breath is to life. I’ve come to understand that a period of “not writing” should not be viewed as a barrier or evidence of incapability, but as a necessary pause in action. Regardless of where I am in the actual process of writing, of creating words and content, I am a writer. To my fellow writers, remember that there is a rich vein of value and information to be gained by mining every life experience on the writing path.
Obstacles do not block the path; they are the path. — Zen Proverb