another thought on writer's block
May. 18th, 2010 02:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
truepennyAnother thing that doesn't work with writer's block? Punishing yourself.
This one is tricky, because there are times when what looks like writer's block is really a screaming howling toddler temper tantrum case of the Don't Wannas. In that instance, the right thing to do is to sit yourself down in front of the manuscript and be firm about the fact that you have to work on it. Even if you'd rather poke pencils in your eyes or tow the African Queen through a leech-infested swamp.
But it's easy--at least, it's easy for me--for "discipline" to slide over into "punishment." Case in point: I've been staring at a scene in the wolf book for the best part of a week, stuck like a thing that is never going to move again, and all the while, I knew that I knew what happened in the next scene. But, no. This was the scene I was stuck on; therefore, this was the scene I had to write Finally, last night, I caught up to myself, said, "Dude, stop being an idiot," and skipped ahead to the scene I knew. And wrote a page and a half. Which isn't, you know, a lot, but in comparison to the parched and barren misery of the previous several days, it's beautiful.
Stubbornness is one of the most valuable character traits a writer can have, but you have to be mindful about it. Be sure you're channeling it constructively, and not just using it to hurt yourself with. And I point to myself as Exhibit A.
This one is tricky, because there are times when what looks like writer's block is really a screaming howling toddler temper tantrum case of the Don't Wannas. In that instance, the right thing to do is to sit yourself down in front of the manuscript and be firm about the fact that you have to work on it. Even if you'd rather poke pencils in your eyes or tow the African Queen through a leech-infested swamp.
But it's easy--at least, it's easy for me--for "discipline" to slide over into "punishment." Case in point: I've been staring at a scene in the wolf book for the best part of a week, stuck like a thing that is never going to move again, and all the while, I knew that I knew what happened in the next scene. But, no. This was the scene I was stuck on; therefore, this was the scene I had to write Finally, last night, I caught up to myself, said, "Dude, stop being an idiot," and skipped ahead to the scene I knew. And wrote a page and a half. Which isn't, you know, a lot, but in comparison to the parched and barren misery of the previous several days, it's beautiful.
Stubbornness is one of the most valuable character traits a writer can have, but you have to be mindful about it. Be sure you're channeling it constructively, and not just using it to hurt yourself with. And I point to myself as Exhibit A.
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