Suffering from Writer’s Block? Sure I Believe You

We, writers, suffer from many romantic notions. We think that we are different (may be some of us are). We think we are born with the blessing called imagination. We prefer to spend time in isolation. And we blame writer’s block for everything that is wrong in our lives. Been there and done that. Every time I scream my heart out and humiliate someone close, I put the blame on writer’s block. It’s like blaming God for everything that is wrong in my life. God does not defy and thus He is the easiest target.

It’s easy you know and it’s handy. This is something people don’t understand. Those who don’t write, don’t know what blockage is. I know this and so does everyone who calls themselves writer with pride. It is romantic to walk into a dry well. It is almost God like to feel something that others don’t understand.

The reality is another matter all together. The reality is…writer’s block does not exist. Yes, it does not. I am a writer and I have never faced a block in my life. I blame it on the block when nothing else works.  It’s a guise that I wear to conceal the fact that I have been lazy.

There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write ― Terry Pratchett

If you call yourself a writer, you gotta have the passion or the dream of making it to the publication someday. Respect your craft. Respect your skill. And respect your passion. Don’t create something that does not exist just for the heck of it. People without writing experience may believe you. But those who know the craft, those who write and those who write everyday, will not believe you. In their eyes, you will be nothing but an excuse creator. I came to realize this – the hard way.

The only reason you can't write is because you don't ― A.A. Patawaran, Write Here Write Now: Standing at Attention Before My Imaginary Style Dictator

I am into content writing for the last two years. I am writing even since I have learnt to speak. I know a thing or two about the craft. The worst thing that may happen is you will produce trash. But you cannot write, that you are suffering from a block, I am sorry my friend, this is just an excuse for not writing.

Writer's block' is just a fancy way of saying 'I don't feel like doing any work today ― Meagan Spooner  

Creative writing requires thinking and you may face a problem in imagining things and that may linger for a day or two. But this romanticism is not applicable in content writing. The only way you can face a block is by writing too much. Too many words or articles can turn you into a zombie. But if you are not writing or writing one  blog post per day and still blaming it on writer’s block, you are committing a sin.

Okay, let’s assume, you are really suffering from this block. That you are really finding it hard to write. I will still ask you what you are doing about it. What action are you taking to overcome the block? Be honest to yourself and answer this.

You see I am not trying to call you a liar. I hardly give a damn about what you are doing. It is just that you are lying to yourself and your passion. It’s your craft that will suffer and sometimes your clients who have trusted you to deliver the job. It’s about time you stop lying and get the things done.

So, next time do us a favor and find another excuse. We have been writing for too long to believe you. 

This World is a Projection of Your Own Mind

You are a big personality in your own mind only. This comment has been hurled at me few days ago. By whom? You won’t know as the person is a fucking nobody. Yeah, true, that’s what he is and yet…

I was dumbstruck for a moment. I wondered – what the fuck? How can someone who has done nothing to write history about can say this? Had it been John Grisham, I would have bowed acceptance. But to hear it from someone who frames sentences that require deciphering? Well that gets me fucking pissed. But, hey…wait a minute. He is right, I am a big personality in my mind only. I truly am. In my mind, I rule. In my mind, no one writes better than I do. In my mind, I am the queen of the world.

Reality is a projection of your thoughts or the things you habitually think about - Stephen Richards

This is what most people are unaware of. What you think in your mind ultimately comes true. So, be the king of the world in your mind first. Project properly and then only you will be able to see it in reality.

If constructive thoughts are planted positive outcomes will be the result. Plant the seeds of failure and failure will follow - Sidney Madwed  

Our world is full of losers. They are the ever waiting souls. They want to pull you down on your knees and keep you there, forever. You will have to decide your action. Do you want to stay on your knees? Or, do you want to get up and get going, no matter what?

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you - James Allen

Losers have a particular power in them. They are convincing. They have convinced themselves that the Lamborghini is out of reach. So, they will laugh at you when you will express your desire to drive one. They know that they are not capable enough to achieve success and they are afraid that you will someday. So, they try to demoralize you with their words. It’s only words and words are all they have. 

I also play with words. Words are my weapons. I build castle with words. I also destroy those castles with nothing but words. Yet, my words are never a means to demoralize anyone. If you are happy with your mind’s projection, I bow down and accept that. I also know that someday your thought will help you reach your destination.

The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking - Albert Einstein

If there is someone, who claims to be your friend and yet keep saying to you that you are nothing but a projection of your mind. Smile and accept. Dream big. Let you imagination go wild. And say it aloud. Say that you are the next best seller. Say that you are the conqueror of this whole world. Declare to everyone that you dream of driving that Audi or the Lamborghini. Do not be shy to admit that you have the desire to become the next multi billionaire. Let them laugh at you. Listen to the sound of laughter and the tinge of mockery. Nothing motivates better than sarcasm.

You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind - Darwin P. Kingsley   

To build or to destroy depends on you. Walk away from the negative influences. Discard these people from your life. Keep following your heart and build world in your mind. And always remember – This World Is a Projection of You Own Mind.   

Writing Law Violation – Shock Them

It’s been a while since I got to write anything. Life, not just life, it’s my fucking professional life that got me and bam… there went everything that I loved outta window. I thought of writing something for the blog, but failed to find a good topic. Nothing seemed good enough to write about. It was an excuse and I knew it. I just didn’t want to write anything. Twice I even started writing a post. It’s a review of a book I am reading currently. But the words and sentences sounded like someone else had written them. So, I forced myself to hit the delete button.

That got me thinking. I always say that writers write. What the fuck did I do in these past two weeks? Nothing, just sat around wrote some worthless contents that would never draw any reader and cursed and cursed. That’s it. Yeah, I did some reading. But reading to me is like taking the next breath. You take my books away and you have killed me. So, reading for pleasure does not count. At least I don’t think so.

I simply did nothing. And I call myself a writer. With pride mind you.

Inside I knew that I should write. I even looked longingly at the notebook where I am writing my next novel, but the Pilot V5 seemed too heavy between my fingers. And I set it away.

This is a familiar phase to me. This happens. Too frequently to be natural. These are phases that tempt me to run away or find solace inside the pages of a fairy tale. But, life is not a fairy tale, is it guys? Life is a novel. It is hard and harsh. Harsher than my tongue sometimes lol.

So, in the end I broke the fast last night and jotted down some words in the notebook. And man, did it feel good to be back? You bet it did. I broke almost all the grammar rules and regulations that have ever been created. Thank God they don’t prosecute for grammar law violation. I would have been a goner by now, if they did.

I have written another post about getting into a writing habit. But this one is for the law breakers.

Do break some law (literary)

Be daring and break the law. Some of your friends will frown at this. Yet, breaking rules feels good. It is like breaking free of the captivation. It is like letting fresh air inside your room and breathing a lungful. Make yourself forget all the shits you have learnt all your life and write. If writing without punctuation helps you by all means do it. Look, I am not encouraging anyone to be a bad writer and this rule breaking may not get you published. But, this will surely set free your creativity. You may even find that kickass voice of yours this way.

Curse

Yeah, allow yourself to curse. Cursing gets the frustration out and you will feel fucking good after a good session. Because I am a natural, I never needed any encouragement. Those words come to me.

Read Something Unconventional

Classics are good for improving your vocab. But then again Archie comics is also good for entertainment. Why restrict your reading? Comics will teach you how to frame dialogues. Read them. Don’t be ashamed to admit that yes, you do read Archie.

Mix Genres

Recently I got an advice from a very dear friend of mine – thrillers thrill and mysteries should be all about suspense and not philosophical.  While I respect him and accept most of everything he says, here I had to defy him. Where the fuck it is written that mystery cannot have a philosophical touch? Who the hell says that a sleuth cannot have feelings? I personally think (I am not always right, but neither are the critics) every character should have feelings and their emotions should be portrayed on paper. Then again, you may think otherwise. Try mixing genres. This will be fun, I am telling you. Write a philosophical mystery or psychological romance. See how far you can continue.  

Forgive me for being what I am and expressing my truest feeling. I am not saying the above mentioned tips will make you write like John Grisham. But they may help or they may not. There is no harm in trying though.  

Surviving Reviews that Hurt

Bad writing. Really bad. Can a writing be good if it shakes a lazy writer heavily so that he wakes up and write and write and suffer from insomnia as he cannot stop writing? 

Don’t be surprised guys - my pen hasn’t created the above mentioned masterpiece. This is a review my last blog post received. Although I am yet to decipher the meaning of the review, I understood that the reader was pretty pissed with the post. Well..if you are wondering why I let you read the review, the answer is – because this is the truth of a writer’s life. Your work is always under the scrutiny. One wrong step, one error or one perception that does not suit may result into somewhat similar reviews. If you are more unfortunate than I had been, you will face worse evaluations. But, don’t let your spirit die. That will be the demise of a dream. And dreams are too precious.

Cope or Perish

Yeah, you either cope with the criticism or you give up. They say writers sit around all day long and write in safety. True we don’t step out of the proximity of the house or office most of the time. And we certainly don’t face enemies at the borders with guns in our hands. Yet, our jobs are no less dangerous than that of a soldier’s. When a bullet pierces the heart, people die. But when someone raises a finger at our creation, our souls experience a slow demise. How easily they say – bad writing. They don’t even consider the effect their words can have on a writer.

To Cope…

When I wrote the last post, I was not in right frame of mind. I work as a content writer and I was loaded with work this past week. In my haste to write a blog post, I jotted something down and posted in my blog without much assessment. I knew in my heart that the post wasn’t good enough. I didn’t share the post with anyone for that reason. What I did instead, I sent the link to some of my friends for feedback. I was looking forward to some suggestions that will help me improve the post. Well…the above feedback did not help me anyway. First I sat undecided. Then I got angry. Then I laughed at the review. I said to myself – to fuck with it.

But, I did not shrug off the matter and went on with my life. I deleted the post from my blog. Then I sat with a writer friend of mine and took the post apart. With the help of this writer, I began to see the errors I made. He pointed out exactly what went wrong and suggested what could make the post better. I rewrote parts of it once again.

Understand These…

Every review is not effective. Don’t take everything you hear about your writing to your heart. People say things when they are given the right. They have the God like glow while pointing out how bad you are. This is a natural human instinct. You need to know which review will help you grow. Listen to those reviews, even if it kills to sit through it. But, do pay attention to every word. Then apply the suggestions to your writing. The rest of the reviews…well they are not reviews at all and you can forget about them.

Everyone is not worth reviewing your writing. I made the mistake of sending out the post to someone who is not capable of pointing out what went wrong. If my writing is bad, I want to know what went wrong and why it is wrong. Don’t just tell me that I am bad in plain words. Show me why I am bad. That’s exactly what you should look for too. Find someone who will not flatter you with flowery words and tell you how good you are. This person will not attack you with anything like the review I have mentioned at the beginning of this post either. This person will gently guide you through and make you see how you can improve your writing.

Finally…

You are a writer. You are a creator. You have dedicated your life in creating stories and characters and sometimes blog posts. You have put yourself in the line so that people can read your work. Sometimes they say things that feel like a hard punch into the gut. But, take it and move forward. Learn from the harshness the world throws at you and get moving. Just go ahead.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!” - Rocky Balboa

Enrich Your Soul – Read One More Book

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ― Stephen King

Image - graceandivy.wordpress

Yet another writing advice you will come across frequently – read more and write better. For once in my life I cannot agree more. Read and read and when you get tired read some more. Surrender yourself to the realm of words written by the masters and you will notice the change yourself.

If you want to tell better stories, you need to grow as a writer.

You need to read.

For me this has never been a problem. I have always been a voracious reader, I still am. I read because I just cannot survive without books. I have a personal library with hundreds of books and the number is rising. My mother sometimes looks at the growing number with concern and says – someday either you will remain in the house or your books will. Now, that’s an exaggeration. Honest.

Jokes apart, the point is not having a library of your own. Once upon a time I could not afford to buy books, I didn’t have the money. To satisfy my hunger I visited bookstores and read. I could not finish the books as it was not possible when you are roaming in a bookstore. But, I got to read few pages everyday. The more I read, the more I wanted to write.

Why reading is emphasized like this? Why every writer suggests the aspiring writers to read? Why?

As you read, you grow. You don’t grow only as a writer, you grow as a human being. Experience and perception team up to make great writers. What you read will influence your writing eventually. Slowly, you will look at the world in a different view.

As a writer, you need to inspire yourself. Nothing gets the inspiration come pouring better than reading. Ever felt the itch reading a writer? As you continue to read, you will eventually come across a writer who will make your fingers itch and heart swell in envy. Let me tell you this is one profession where envy is not forbidden. Unless you are jealous, you will not want to do better. Yet, you need to know how to use the jealousy in a constructive way.

Great tales come from great imagination and descriptive writing. Holding the readers by hand and taking them through the mazes of the world you have built takes skill. Only good fiction can teach you how to write such scenes.  

You don’t want your readers to put down the book you have so lovingly crafted and forget all about it. You want your book to remain till the day this world comes to an end. To reach that height, you need to work hard. You need to invest time for reading and writing.

To keep the motivation alive, you can try the tricks. These work for me. Let’s see if these can work for you too.  

Have a Date with Your Books

Take your book out. Find a cozy café and indulge into reading. That may cost you some money and I know writers are not always fortunate in money matters. So, find a cozy park and take your book there. Sit under a tree and lose yourself into the fictitious world. Ever read a book in rain? I have. Once I sat in a downpour with a huge umbrella and read Game of Thrones. The experience? Words cannot describe it. I discovered the joy of reading once again.

Take a Long Walk with Your Book

Don’t try to read while walking. At least not when the traffic is heavy. Take a long walk. Read the nature instead. Read the body languages of the people around you. This is also a training process. You are a writer training yourself. The next bestseller in the making. Act like one. Give your dream a chance. Don’t shy away from hard work.

Commit Yourself

Commit to reading like you are married to books. Don’t undertake too much at once. Don’t try to finish Atlas Shrugged at one go.  You will be disappointed if you fail to finish the book. Instead read one page everyday. One little step will take you a long way. One day you will realize that you have finished countless books. Start today and never stop. Have fun. That is the bottom line. Whatever you read you should enjoy. Read for pleasure first, slowly you will be reading to improve yourself.

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ― Stephen King

Inspire Yourself to Write

Image - wikimedia.org

Time comes in the lives of the writers when nothing works. No matter how hard they try, no word, no sentence, no image form in their heads. They just sit blank, wondering will it ever be like the past again, will the words come back.

I don’t know about you, but I suffer from this syndrome frequently. I don’t have the habit of waiting for the inspiration. I know what happens when someone waits for something to happen. I waited three years for inspiration and did not write a single line. Now, I follow Jack London’s advice with all my heart and chase inspiration. Yet, time comes when nothing works. I keep writing without my heart in it. I derive no joy in creating. Have you ever felt like this? If the answer is no, you are fortunate. You can skip reading this post.

Inspiring the writer within you is important at a time like this. When wind doesn’t blow, you need to steer the boat yourself and move forward. This is the only way you can get something done.

I have been writing for a long time. So long that now I cannot recall the time I did not write. And in these long years of effort I have learnt something valuable - that inspiration does not come. It is up to you whether you give up or get going. Once I gave up and I paid dearly. I had to start all over again. Thus I don’t give up now. I try to inspire myself. It takes time to get back in the mood but it does work.

It’s true that you will not be able to inspire yourself without assistance. You will require tools to make yourself write again. For me books have been of great help. Whenever I feel my creativity is taking a leave of absence, I turn to the pages of books I love reading most. I read words created by the masters. John Grisham is one of the writers I read to motivate myself. This is the writer I have always considered as my mentor. His writing has the power to make my fingers itch and my heart composed again. Rainmaker is one of my personal favorites. You may choose to read someone else. But do read. Nothing helps writing better than reading. No matter what you read, you get better at writing.

Take a walk outside. Writing is a lonely task. Yet, you need to get out of the comfort of your home. You need to interact with people. You write about them, you need to study them. In my case, I am fortunate. My work demands that I go out and communicate with others. This makes me write better. I feel free when I return and hold my pen again. Next time when you interact with others, don’t take them as mere human beings. Instead consider them as characters of your novel and see what happens.

Do something unusual. Take a walk in the rain. Feel the droplets pouring down upon you. Drenching you. Let the blessing from heaven wash away the blockage and refresh your soul. Frequently I stand in the rain, looking up, gazing at the sky and thanking the monarch of the heaven. I thank Him for the words that I write. I thank Him for the images that will not let me sit in peace. I thank Him for the books that are being written. I thank Him for being there. Lastly, I thank Him for life. And when I return to writing, I feel like another person. Try it.

Get drunk. Lol, getting controversial. Don’t drive in the state. Allow the alcohol to sooth your senses. But hey, try not to make it a habit. Once in a while indulge into this beverage and well…you will wake up yet another person (sometimes with killer headache).

Write something different, something unconventional, something that you haven’t tried before. Why not write an erotica? Explore and see what you can come up with. Write about that date who did not call again. Take this person to a land where only dead people walk the night. Write a long letter to someone, you haven’t met. Why not write to your characters? Explain why you put them through so much misery. Praise them and tell them why they are unique.  

Work out. Kick box, stretch, run and sweat it out. You will be able to go past the blockage that is preventing you from writing. Umm…these are not laws of writing that I have pronounced. There is no law in this profession. You can invent your own law. The secret is to have fun and worry less. Banging your head against the wall will only make you bleed. Rather grow wings and try to fly away. Writing is not a task that you have to perform. Writing is salvation. Surrender yourself and take pleasure in the journey. 

Balancing Life and Writing

Life is Not Easy…

And it’s never gonna be. You will have to chase your dream today. You will have to make it today. If you sit around and wait for the things to fall in the place, you will be waiting forever.

Once I made this mistake. I was working for an engineering firm. It was hectic. Exhausting even. Each day I returned drained. Hardly, I had the energy to open a book, let alone the willingness to hold my pen and start writing. So, I chose the easy path. I started waiting. I waited for the things to fall in place. I waited for the time when I wouldn’t have to work to pay the bills. I waited for that time to appear. Months passed. And I waited. I did not open a single book. I did not write a single line. I was waiting. Waiting for the situation to get better.

Image from papersun

Everyone gets a wake up call sometimes in their lives. I was also fortunate enough to receive one. My wake up call came in the shape of high fever. I was at home, recovering. To pass time, I reached for my pen and notebook. I started writing. Only I couldn’t. I pushed myself to proceed. I even forced myself to create something. Yet, nothing came to my mind. With immense effort I constructed one sentence. But nothing followed the first line. Horror dawned on to me. I pushed some more. Nothing.

I realized that as I was waiting for the right time to appear in my life, I continued to lose the skill I built with so much effort. That I have lost the edge. That day, I gave myself a firm shake. I silently resolved that I would read and write everyday. That was in the August 2006. I have never stopped reading and writing.

You should not either. If you love to write, you will need to read and write everyday. Yes, of course you can take a break. Every writer takes a break. Maybe once a year. For me break comes in the shape of notebook writing. When I am too drained to write anything, when my characters refuse to act or talk or do anything, I pick up a topic and reach for one of my notebooks. Nothing calms me down better than an hour or two of wild writing session.

I know many of you are facing the similar dilemma. Many of you don’t get time to read or write. But, you must, if you want to improve yourself as a writer. You will have to invest sufficient amount of time for reading and writing (If you are wondering why I am insisting on reading, wait for my next post Read More and Write Better). So, how do you do it? You can think strategically and steal away time to indulge in your passion.

Carry a book…always. Instead of staring out of the window, try to read while you are travelling. I still do this. I carry a book wherever I go. This helps a lot.

Carry a notebook around. You will never catch me without a notebook (several notebooks if truth be told). I steal moments to write pieces. When I return home, I bring with me materials that help me proceed further.

Changing your writing time is another way to get something done. Get up early or go to bed late. Write in the spare time. Give up television. Give up social life. You need to be ready to sacrifice some of the things you love to improve yourself, to grow as a writer. Everything comes with a price. Your dreams as well. Are you willing to pay? Willing to sacrifice things that matter? Willing to say no to that movie you were dying to watch? Ask yourself and then make the plans. I am sure you will succeed.