Still Alive

Yes, this blog had a bit of a slow down. (Ok, more than a bit). The same could be said of my other one as well.

At least this time, most of it was because I was actually writing. A rarity. Now that I've hit a block in the book and yet still have the drive to write something, my blogs are seeing a spot of light.

And, since this is my writing blog, let's talk a bit about this block I've developed.

First of all, what exactly is writer's block?

In its most basic meaning it's a period when a writer can't write.

And, even that is an oversimplification.

Some writers will tell you that there is no such thing as writer's block. That it's just a matter of willpower or being stuck on one project and yet working on another isn't a true writer's block. Or, they'll have other names for the same condition.

Either way you look at it...coming to a point where the words just don't want to come for a story is a problem for a writer. And, you can try to just write through it and sometimes that works, but at other times it might not. It all comes down to why you've got the block in the first place. Sometimes you'll never know exactly what caused it. It just lifts away and you realize the words are ready to come out. More than likely, the cause was mental. Either stress or worries outside of the writing which squeezed around what did happen to be going go and stopping it.

There's also the writing itself and instincts. I'm currently stuck just shy of the ending of this story and left floundering. This is happening for a couple of reasons:

1. I've arrived at an ending very different from the original one I'd planned on.
2. Being a linear and organic writer, I've added a few subplots into the middle of the book which need to be resolved at the end -- however, the ingrediants of those subplots aren't fully known because I need to go back to the beginning and develop them in there.

I know where my block comes from, I'm just not sure how to correct it yet.

The main thing about writer's block (or whatever label you choose to put on it) to remember is that -- it's not permanent. It will, eventually, work itself out if you stay calm and let it. Take it as a hint from your subconscious that maybe you need to take a break, or that you might be on the wrong trek with the story you are writing. Inspect what happened between the time you could write and the time you couldn't by any means and see if you can find the cause. But, if you can't, don't stress it.

Some times you just have to have faith in the universe that the problem will work itself out in time.