January 15, 2009



What you will find in this news article: Writer's block | Recent finds | Resource news | Read this | Literature Daily Deviations: December 2008

Writer's block

I have to be honest: I don't buy it when people say, "I have writer's block". I believe that if you're not inspired, you should write anyway. I do, however, think that there are times when you can't write. Times of emotional distress and personal tragedy, for example. Sometimes life is simply boring. It is not a bad idea to take a break at such times, but make sure you get back to writing! There are also times when you can write, but most of what you write isn't very good. Keep at it -- you will find a way to revise later on, or at least you'll have a good laugh. (Writer's block in psychopathology has more to do with depression and anxiety than with some divine force refusing to grace you with its presence. Obviously I am in no position to discuss a medical problem, but if you think that's what you have, do consult a doctor. S/he should be able to help you.)

To deal with the icky times you feel you cannot write, I have a few suggestions. These are neither exhaustive nor do guarantee that you will be happy with the results, but in my experience, they work, and I hope they will for you too.

Change. This probably sounds like psychological mumbo jumbo, but I really think the term "writer's block" itself contributes to one's fear that one will never be able to write again. It sounds like a disease or worse, an adolescent existential crisis. Why not simply say, "I haven't been writing much lately"? Or even call it something silly so you don't feel burdened?

Read.: I remember being told by a poet that she didn't read poetry (contemporary or otherwise) because she felt it would make her less original, that she would end up copying whoever she wrote. Unfortunately that didn't help her much. Writing matures with experience -- and "experience" includes familiarity with the language of poetry or fiction or whatever it is you write. You need to know what's out there before you can be the writer-you. Read as much as you can and vary it up. Cinema, TV and other forms of media should not be ignored. Besides, engaging with art and culture can give you some great ideas for writing.

Travel. I use the word loosely: "travel" can mean a walk in the evening, an early morning job, a trip to the museum, attending a poetry reading, a drive to the nearest touristy place, or travelling cross-country and abroad. To me, travel is a kind of reading non-textual material. I don't mean it to sound academic, though. In my case, I get some of my best lines while travelling by bus from Richmond Town (in Bangalore) back home. I don't know exactly why that particular route, but that's how it is. A sort of subconscious creativity seems to be at play all the time, and especially when you're focussing on the aesthetics of your environment. (That's my theory, yes.)

Exercise. By this, I mean writing exercises. On deviantART there are a number of clubs and projects that can help with prompts and workshops. *Writers-Workshop, =Wordspill, *simplyprose and *simplypoetry are a few. For a more comprehensive list, ask ^LadyLincoln or try ~Lit-Source. You may think that writing this way isn't legitimate, that the idea isn't yours, but this isn't true. The way you approach the challenge will be different from everyone else, and the challenge itself may force you to search yourself for material that you have never bothered or never dared to use before.

Critique. Critique someone's writing. It helps. Really.

Revise. Dig out the most atrocious thing you ever wrote and attempt to improve it.

Record. Writing in a journal is usually fun and relaxing, whether on a blog, on dA, or in a notebook. Most people make the mistake of forcing themselves to write every day or every week and then feel guilty about not living up to their resolutions. I suggest focussing on quality rather than quantity. Try to make your entries impressionistic rather than factual. It doesn't matter if you're writing brilliantly; just try to get away from telling your diary (who represents your audience in this case) at what time you ate breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do little character sketches of your friends and family, describe a tree, or how it felt to be in an old cinema hall after many years. You could also try a keeping a dream diary.

To conclude, even unsuccessful attempts at writing are useful -- they force you to work with words, they excercise your creative faculties, they keep you on your toes. Don't disregard your doggerel, is all I'm saying. And don't worry so much about your dry spells. Good luck!

Recent finds

General

Cory Doctorow: Writing in the Age of Distraction by =apocathary

Poetry

The Quasida al-Burda by =Keraness
Jisei: Introduction by `Laurence55

Fiction
Outlining: Week #1 by ~writers-in-progress
Writing Paranormal Characters by *simplyprose

Resource news

Look out for an interview with =apocathary later this month.

Resource Central: Part One and Resource Central: Part Two have been updated.

Read this

Thirty-Two Statements About Writing Poetry by Marvin Bell

1. Every poet is an experimentalist.

2. Learning to write is a simple process: read something, then write something; read something else, then write something else. And show in your writing what you have read.

3. There is no one way to write and no right way to write.

4. The good stuff and the bad stuff are all part of the stuff. No good stuff without bad stuff.

5. Learn the rules, break the rules, make up new rules, break the new rules.

6. You do not learn from work like yours as much as you learn from work unlike yours.

7. Originality is a new amalgam of influences.

8. Try to write poems at least one person in the room will hate.

9. The I in the poem is not you but someone who knows a lot about you.

10. Autobiography rots.

More here.

Literature Daily Deviations: December 2008

Poetry - Fixed

Who Cares About...? by =BornBlitzed (Satire, Sonnet)
A warming limerick by `darkcrescendo (Transgressive, Limerick)

Poetry - Haiku & Eastern

a window open by ~myloveliestsequence (Nature)

Poetry - Open

The Grammar Gangsters by ~CyberPhantom (Humour)
it is not enough by ~emilygolightly (Other Romance)
OPEN WINDOWS by ~hyperbolating (General)
fat by :devmme-enigmatique (Human Nature)
School Nativity Play by ~polyhymnia (Children's)
Thief by :devscarlettletters (Human Nature)
The Breath of God by ~SoothingAngel (Experimental)
I have loved you... by ~sweet-lyrical (Mature Romance)
gestalt by ~synapticattack (Human Nature)
Lake Windermere by ~tangerinedreams (Nature)

Poetry - Visual

The Violet Hour by =damina

Prose - Fiction

Through The Blue-Green Haze by ~anotherfirename (Perspectives)
Poisons by ~Dain22 (Perspectives)
Arthur Nobody by ~MacDoherty (Perspectives)
Unfinal Solution by *RalfMaximus (Horror)
Stunted Growth by ~SeeMyMask (Spiritual)
Ache by `tangledweb (Mature Romance)

Some of these Daily Deviations were suggested by =Elorine, =emothemurdok, `fllnthblnk, ~fm-vorassi, `GaioumonBatou, *IrrevocableFate, =Iscariot-Priest, ~nycterent, =poetoffire, *simplyprose, ~SSEJBAT, `tangledweb, *ThornyEnglishRose, ~WinterRose31 and ~Xovvo.

_{Sorry if I have missed anyone out. It was not intentional. Let me know and I will rectify the mistake.}

Previous Write news articles: Write #1: Proof it! | Write #2: Why haiku? | Write #3: To publish or not to publish | Write #4: Figuratively speaking | Write #5: Caricature vs character | Write #6: Form(ing) poetry | Write #7: The Best of 2008