WRITER’S BLOCK MUST DIE!

When sitting down to write this blog my brain immediately shut down giving me a perfect case of, ta da, Writer’s Block. Ouch, not a great way to start this thing but oh well, I shall persevere. I decided that maybe my Roget’s Thesaurus might be of help so I looked up the word block, as in hinder. I was amazed at all the different words that I recognized from going through the dark time of the dreaded block.

Here are just a few that any writer who has experienced Writer’s Block should recognize:

Hindrance, obstruction, stoppage, constriction, restriction, restraint, discouragement, opposition, impediment, obstacle, snag, hitch, clog, preventative, lock, barricade, dam up, interrupt, choke, frustrate, baffle, defeat, cripple and dishearten.

When you get into Writer’s Block it can feel like you are suffocating, as if a giant boa constrictor is squeezing the life out of you. Your thoughts are impeded, dammed up within you and you are frustrated, baffled and disheartened over your efforts to break free. The words are obstructed, the opposition within you fierce and if you let it, it can defeat you. But there is also a very simple solution.

The most important word in the writer’s vocabulary is perseverance. Persist, go on, keep on, hold on, maintain your course, endure, and be steady and constant. Develop some backbone, stamina, tenacity and staying power. Stir up your courage, stay the course, walk through the fire and keep going through thick and thin.

In other words, no matter what it feels like, keep writing. Write and re-write and re-write again. Delete, re-do, edit and backspace but never, ever quit. As long as you persevere, keep going, don’t stop or give up you will make it through because the one thing that will kill Writer’s Block, is writing. Don’t worry about if it stinks or not. Don’t let fear have the upper hand, just keep writing. Ignore the voices of doubt that will plague you and keep typing away because eventually the block will dissolve under your assault of words. The dam will break and your words will once again flow freely upon the page.

Never give up and never surrender or as my handy Roget’s says; die in harness.
(Not literally of course!)