Don't Write: A Reluctant Journal and Other Great Cures for Writer's Block

To me, a writer, whether dealing with extended writer's block or delving in, is a person who is always composing lines in her head. A writer lives her experiences and simultaneously thinks of how it can be transmitted to others, through words. I did that for years, without putting anything on paper, but when I was ready, it was as if I had been training for the marathon for years, I felt ready and I was ready.

Laura, www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com ( http://www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com/ )

When I am working on something (story, novel, whatever), I write for 15 minutes a day no matter what.  Even if it ends up being one line of dialogue.  But it usually ends up being longer - I just have to tell myself that I'm "allowed" to be done after those 15 minutes.

When it's something else (blogging), I'm always writing.  In my head.  When I'm out walking or I'm rocking the baby or doing the dishes, my brain is composing amusing (well, to me, ha) little anecdotes.  I just have to be sure to write them down or I'll blank out when I sit down at the computer, so I carry tiny notepads and little pens with me EVERYWHERE.

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follow my nerding and ranting on The Un Mom ( http://un-mom.blogspot.com )

follow my parenting or lack thereof on To Xander ( http://toxander.blogspot.com )

You have so much material, that you don't even realize it. Take the time to concentrate on the things you do and think and hear and say and see in a day. That is material, a treasure trove. And regarding the humor, that has taken me a long time to manage, but it seems easiest (for me) when I am most comfortable with my subject. I have recently joked about peeing in my pants (see "I Need a Diaper") and being dumped by a date when I was throwing up in the bathroom (see "Looking for Love on Craig's List: Dumped in the Bathroom"). But, if you don't keep honing your craft and your own outlook or voice or perspective, you know that you will keep mulling over it.

You go girl!

Laura, www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com ( http://www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com/ )

Ok, being new to blogging; embarrased by my limited homemaker knowledge level; and just too much to think about.  Yea, I get writers block, knots in my stomach, coffee overdose shakes, etc.  How do you interject humor into serious subject matter so that interest levels rize?  Maybe I'll just give up on this blogging thing.

I too was a tech writer for years after completing my journalism degree so can appreciate what you're saying about the routine of the writing. But the biggest benefit I've found from all that writing is a strong sense of discipline for getting writing done.

I now write articles for my business, do some mar-coms for others and write more in my journal. I've started a writers group and love how we're all in different places with our projects but all have a similar background in professional writing.

For me all the years of tech writing are paying off now because I have my own business where writing is part of it and if I hadn't had all those contracts with serious deadlines I wouldn't have the ability to push through any sense of writers block. I do, however, procastinate about other things but thankfully writing isn't one of them.

So keep faith, your tech writing is more than just financial benefit for you, it is also serving your future writing endeavours too. :)

All the best,

Belinda

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Try Gail Sher's books about writing as well.

Yeah, I've come upon writer's block. I never know if it's reluctance to write deeply enough about something, or simply being so boring that I stop thinking. The "don't write that" vs. the "write what?".

Every time I do the Artist's Way, I get up and try to do the morning pages. Every time, I end up with eyes in slits, my head on the desk, scribbling lines that every physical sign shows I'm so rejecting. So I've decided to reject TAW.

Debra
A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Weight for Deb ( http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com )

hasn't hit me yet, but then I don't write under any sort of pressure.

Fiction is a new endeavour, and am all of 45 postings into a full length story. My second of last night flew from brain remnants through keyboard to screen in less than 10 minutes, more like 5.

I've seen one suggestion elsewhere that one look to imagery for inspiration, but for me that comes via music. My mind will create a story from the songs I hear, the result quite distant from its musical inspiration.

With an hour long commute, by the time I've returned home, most often music on the drive has triggered where I wish to go in the story that night.  

nelle ( http://refractivethoughts.org/ )

&

llhaesa ( http://llhaesa.org/ )

As we have all learned from Mr. Seinfeld, there is no such thing as nothing, if it occupies a mind, it is something.

I vote for you to go for the blog. I have been blogging for about three months and find it a wonderful outlet (just as long as you don't stress about number of visitors to your site).

Laura (www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com ( http://www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com/ ))

Thanks, Laura! Technical writing is a job for me; it pays the bills, it can be interesting at times, but it isn't satisfying in the long run. I find myself thinking in terms of processes and procedures, delineating things outside of work as Step 1, Step 2, and so forth. NOT particularly creative or thinking outside of the box! Jen’s post has reinforced my belief that I need to write about other stuff or my brain will shrivel up! I’ve ordered a couple of the books that Jen listed and plan to work through them. And I’m really considering starting my own blog so I can just fire words out there. It will be, ala Seinfeld, a blog about nothing!
ann M

I was a technical writer for years; I would write "Press Enter" hundreds of times a day. I would find a bit of a creative outlet in writing introductions. Eventually I branched out into marketing writing, but, really, writing about telephones is writing about telephones. Maybe if you compartmentalize between the different kinds of writing you do, even by calling it work writing and REAL writing it will allow you to not feel so constricted by the process. Just a thought.

Laura (www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com ( http://www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com/ ))

Since becoming a technical writer, I find that my creative juices have dried up. And when I do take the time to try and write, what comes out isn't at all what I was thinking! Oy! And then I have a hard time trying not to edit myself, as I can't believe anyone would want to read what I write. Maybe I should start blogging about my inability to write! HA! Now there's a concept!!!

annM

I'm a great believer in the principles of writing practice as taught by Natalie Goldberg ( http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/ ). I've been using her ideas for years and find them liberating.

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer Technology Contributing Editor ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/virginia-debolt )
Web Teacher ( http://www.webteacher.ws/ )
First 50 Words ( http://first50.wordpress.com/ )

I have found consistency and mulling propel me best to "putting it down." First, each time that I kept at my writing consistently, I have been able to be the most productive, even if there were days when not much has happened. Also, mulling over thoughts and bare ideas, even for a few days, makes the words more prepared to come when I am ready to write them. I have come to respect my writing intuition, if I feel blank, it will usually be a blank day; and if I am feeling that the mulling is working, I will generally be fruitful.

Laura (www.RebelliousThoughtsofaWoman.com ( http://www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com/ ))

I have moments and entire days of being reluctant to write. Some wise person told me "when you can't write, write anyway."
I find the best motivation is deadlines, which, so far, I have always met.
Anne Lamott's famed words about writing a huge tome, is to write it "bird by bird". When faced with homework of writing about many birds, just break it into manageable pieces, bird by bird.
Terra
Co-author of "Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holiday"