n the past on my Facebook page (and now also on my Tumblr) I have posted pieces of writing advice, which people seem to have found helpful, so I thought I might pass it on to those of you following me here! 🙂
So, it’s the terror that haunts nearly all writers – the elephant in the room that we’d rather not acknowledge. It’s the big bad of writing. Writer’s Block. Now, if you’re like Philip Pullman and don’t believe in writer’s block, I applaud you.
“Writer’s block…a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided if, in every sentence containing the word WRITER, that word was taken out and the word PLUMBER substituted; and the result examined for the sense it makes. Do plumbers get plumber’s block? What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse not to do any work that day?
The fact is that writing is hard work, and sometimes you don’t want to do it, and you can’t think of what to write next, and you’re fed up with the whole damn business. Do you think plumbers don’t feel like that about their work from time to time? Of course there will be days when the stuff is not flowing freely. What you do then is MAKE IT UP. I like the reply of the composer Shostakovich to a student who complained that he couldn’t find a theme for his second movement. “Never mind the theme! Just write the movement!” he said.
Writer’s block is a condition that affects amateurs and people who aren’t serious about writing. So is the opposite, namely inspiration, which amateurs are also very fond of. Putting it another way: a professional writer is someone who writes just as well when they’re not inspired as when they are.”
― Philip Pullman
I believe that he has a truly valid point, but my interpretation of writer’s block is a little different to his, and I like to soften his mode of expressing what I consider to be his key points.
Yes, writers should not let writers block be an issue for them, and yes we should be professional about these things, and just sit down and write regardless. But it can be difficult – especially if you’re only just starting out.
I have developed three top techniques to help combat this, and they’re all to do with mindset, and breaking down part of the scary aura that “Writer’s Block” as a notion has. It’s like a catch phrase of the industry, and the shadow it casts is really much bigger than the issue itself. The problem is, once it’s jumped on you, it can be pretty hard to handle, like a brick wall separating you from your writing.
Each of my methods has a metaphor or at least imagery attached.
- The Baby
Take a step back, think about what you’re struggling with obliquely, and try to slowly walk through the tiny building blocks that will help you through it. Think about what important events will get your characters to where you want them. Sort of like walking a child through its first footsteps. Softly, softly. - The Bull
Bull through it. Write rubbish. But write, write, write. Worry about editing later. Just get through it. - The Battle
Take a step back, and if the idea that you are trying to write is incongruous with the overall story, withdraw, reform, and deploy your efforts in an area of better effect.
With all three of these it is key to know where you want your writing to go – what the end point you want to reach. By knowing where you want to go, it makes it easier for your mind to figure out the path there. It’s almost like reverse engineering your way through a maze.
So there we are: the 3 B’s. The Baby. The Bull. And the Battle.
