This lengthy intro is really a segue into talking about the questions I have been asked recently regarding my own method for dealing with writer's block, or as I would rather call it, a speed hump in the writing process.
It seems this is a common complaint or concern. People get upset when the ideas don't flow freely. Well I have to admit staring at screen which has no more words on it than it did an hour ago, is a bit discouraging. But it is not the end of world, or even your writing career. It's just a sign that a mental reboot is in the offing.
Now there are writer's who are able to faithfully put aside work time and spend those hours each and every day engaged in productivity. To be clear, most of these have more of an incentive, like a publisher who is demanding a manuscript on their desktop yesterday.
For those of us who are a bit less fettered to our craft, our writing may be more random, and much more connected to our inspirations. When we finally sit down to write, we may be deflated to find out the well is dry. Even when we thought we had a great idea. So then we try. And we all know how well that doesn't work. It's like trying to go to sleep. As Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try."
While our Yoda was a very sage man, he was clearly not a writer. Because even if we forgo trying, it does not mean we can necessarily DO at that moment.
What we can DO though, is give it a go, but if we come up drawing blanks, have the wisdom to pack it up for awhile and wait for the next epiphany, or at least the next idea which makes us think we are on to something, or at least doesn't suck. If we sit and fret and fuss, we will only get dug deeper into a rut. We have to know when to let it go, and when we are close to something we can build on, or dare I say it, turn into something great.
So to get back to the original question about how I handle a writing drought, or dry spell. It's simple. I either do or do not. And I've been at it long enough to know which is the best route to go.
That way I don't drag myself into the depths of despair because the words won't come. On the other hand, I don't throw in the towel because the words are not flooding on to the page. Yes, after all this time I have a pretty good idea which road I should take and then I follow it. And if it turns out to be a dead end, no matter, I just regroup and start again.
Does that help?
