With KNOCK YOUR BLOCK OFF! Jane Bernard tosses out a welcome lifeboat to writers and wannabe writers suffering from writer’s block. The author’s perceptive analysis and helpful tips should get them back on shore!
Betty Jo Tucker, film critic, radio host and award-winning author
Knock Your Block Off!
a psychological approach for getting rid of writer’s block
By Jane Bernard
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2010 Jane Bernard
Transitions Press
ISBN: 978-1-4524-3620-3
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KNOCK YOUR BLOCK OFF!
A Psychological Approach for Getting Rid of Writer’s Block
By Jane Bernard
Table of Contents
Introduction
Your Writing Process
When Writer's Block Is Not Writer's Block
Knock Your Block Off!
Rituals
The Rules
It Happens To Everyone
Ego-Enhanced Writer's Block
Emotional Writer's Block
Technically Blocked?
A Note
INTRODUCTION
Knock Your Block Off! is a psychological approach to ending writer’s block. It’s not about how to write. Knock Your Block Off! is about how your mind works when you write. When you realize how your creative psyche works with your intellect and emotional drive, a block becomes a signpost.
Since writing flows through your mind, recognizing how your thoughts flow or are censured, means you can sidestep the frustration of feeling blocked, and stay in the flow.
Writing is an intellectual, and creative energy flow. All energy needs to be replenished. The flow of writing energy is no exception. Understanding how your mind processes your creative flow, gives you psychological insights that will change your understanding of the relative importance of things as you write. You can beat writers block emotionally and intellectually, by understanding it psychologically.
YOUR WRITING PROCESS
You have an idea, assignment, or request to write. You consider it. You have your intellect, which is the sum of your ideas and experiences, and it easily focuses on achieving your writing goal. Then your emotions weigh in, and you feel excited or anxious as you anticipate writing. The moment you decide to write, your intellect and your emotions are in sync.
You begin. Your creative psyche links with your intellect. As you write, ideas and experiences become words funneled through your creative psyche. You are not thinking, you are doing. It’s a flow. The act of writing gives language to your thoughts.
As you write your emotions are very fluid, changing continually. They are primal and powerful, often creating impetus to continue, or resistance to change. For a while, your writing continues as a point of focus. The emotions flow. They often spark creative ideas, so the writing process doesn’t follow a fixed path. Instead, it seems to take on a life of it’s own.
Meanwhile, your focused creative energy continues a process of unfolding, based on your ideas and writing goals. When the direction of emotional energy is no longer in sync with the direction of creative energy, your writing momentum begins to slow down. You may start to feel distracted or at a loss for words. Then you may hit a wall: writer’s block.
Being blocked is a failsafe in the writing process. It is like a traffic light at an intersection, when it’s gentle, or a wake-up call when it’s not. The block may be for several reasons. Some examples include:
- Your emotions are distorting your ideas.
- You are creatively exhausted,
- You are off-track technically or intellectually.
This is a natural part of writing. Nothing in life is perfectly secure and unchallenged. Your creative psyche is an inner independence that feels liberating. This is exciting and often gratifying. But, you cannot force it or form pacts with it to complete writing goals. To write you need to have an open mind.
Unlike your emotions, which flow spontaneously, your creative process has an ebb and flow that is focused. Your ideas or stream of consciousness don’t necessarily come logically or easily. Instead the writing process unfolds – at it’s own pace, nurtured by momentum and understanding. When you allow that trusting the ebb and flow is part of getting to your writing goal, you are on your way.
No one controls creative energy, instead, writer’s trust it will lead to achieve the writing goal. Trusting means having an open mind. You are participating in a process and it will all make sense. This attitude automatically leads to the correct and open writing path despite confusion or ignorance. You can be in harmony with your self creatively with an open and sincere humility toward writing. A ‘block’ is a guidepost. Let it guide you.
WHEN WRITER'S BLOCK IS NOT WRITER'S BLOCK
There are times when your creative energy will take a breather to regain perspective. This natural part of the ebb and flow of the psyche feels like a threat to the emotional ego. The ego becomes alarmed because it senses a loss of control. In fact, your ego is never in control of your writing. It is a spark, and just like a spark can start a fire, it doesn’t maintain the burn. The emotional spark of your ego can fan the flames of your writing but it cannot ensure your creative flow. Creativity is ultimately independent of your emotions.
The creative process is not designed to go smoothly. Instead it is usually a process of trial and error that is an ebb and flow of energy. Creative flow is a form of trusting your writing drive. Your creative psyche is consistently in tune with your intellectual goal - to achieve compelling communication. Ultimately that is what you, the writer, want.
We tend to want things to feel good, while in fact with writing things are often not good. The emotional response is to try to force the ‘good feeling’. The creative response is to refine, re-write, re-think and to continue to respond to the drive to communicate clearly and effectively. Writer’s block may simply be your creative energy taking a breather, in order to refresh and re-build your writing flow.
When you accept this natural form of self-correction and re-fueling, you will realize that you are making progress with your writing in spite of mistakes or misunderstandings. A writer is a person who writes. A tremendous amount of what you write forms as creative energy, before words hit the page. Your process is unique, as are your psyche, intellect, and emotions. Be patient with yourself and let it unfold.
KNOCK YOUR BLOCK OFF!
Writing is often a balancing act between your creative drive, and pressures to fulfill your creative drive. When the pressure outweighs the flow of saying what you mean, so people will know where you're coming from, and can get your point, you are knocked off balance and confronted with writer’s block. When deadlines and expectations loom darkly, you may without realizing it, become excessively tight with your self, shutting down your creative flow and hitting a dead end. Walls of frustration set off alarms. Experiencing boredom, resentment, panic, fear, or confusion, when you sit down to write, happens to everyone, and there is nothing pleasant about it.
It is a fact that understanding can’t be forced, and writing can’t be forced. Both create challenges and adversities that are unexpected. Writers cannot afford to resist being open to change. However when you are hit hard with writer’s block, while you may be willing to be open spiritually, logic resists, or when it makes sense to move on logically, you just don’t ‘feel’ it. Choices that bring on noose tightening feelings around the neck of your creative drive are unconscious habits.
You may try to change, and perhaps you do, for a while. Then the change feels like too much work, or just plain uncomfortable, or without realizing it, you fall back to old ways. Genuine and enduring change in writing habits only occurs when you can see the nature of the problem. Navigating writer’s block requires a bridge between your creative psyche and your intellect. That bridge keeps you balanced by keeping you open. Knock Your Block Off! reveals a psychological approach to give you insights to your unconscious habits, so you can see the problem, and knock writer’s block off the page.
RITUALS
Writing rituals are warm up exercises signaling your mind that you are ready to write. The rituals release accumulated emotional tensions, and encourage spontaneity. Some include clearing off your desk, lining up markers, making a cup of coffee or getting your notes in order.
Ritual activity also allows for distance from, and objectivity about, your writing. It’s a way of letting the good stuff rise to the surface. Know your self, and trust your process. Whatever kick-starts your writing engine is what is right.
Like your writing process, your ritual has a beginning, middle, and conclusion. In your writing ritual, the conclusion is the beginning of your writing process. Focus and begin.
When you hit a block, repeating your ritual may be the remedy to re-open your creative flow.
THE RULES
There are rules for knocking writer’s block out of your way. Knowing them isn’t enough. Plan to make them your habit.
- When re-writing, don’t battle yourself with guilt.
- Don’t waste your time by writing stuff that feels wrong.
- Don’t force yourself. • Instead, pause for perspective.
Rule #1
Set a time limit.
This puts you in control. It’s you being clear about priorities. This message will get to your unconscious where most writing is done before you sit down to write. Then, two things happen gradually and at the same time:
1. Anxiety goes away because your creative and emotional energies realign and,
2. You notice you’re in sync.
Set a clock for 15-30 minutes to write through the block. Then, if you are still blocked, stop. Stop means put the writing that is blocking you away. It doesn’t mean to stop writing altogether. You can work on other parts of the doc or write something else if you wish.
Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work. ~ Ralph Marston
Rule # 2
Use rule #1, then Stop focusing on what is blocking you.
You are 'master of your fate and captain of your soul'. It’s your writing. Make it count. Sometimes stopping is the most effective way to get back on track. When you have gone off track, your writing energy is scattered. The block is your writing instinct asking you to re-coup, and reclaim your perspective.
Stopping the act of physically writing doesn’t effect the flow of your creative energy in your unconscious. Letting it build up gives you enough writing energy to knock your block off. Breaking through writer’s block is never passive.
Rule # 3 -
Know where you stand.
Your ego can have you blocked, and standing in the corner. Step away from the traps of negativity and judgment. This is your writing. Writing is no place for attitude or emotion, unless it’s in sync with your creative flow.
Rule # 4
Know what your want to do. Do you really want to write?
Be honest about this, or you won’t get momentum. What ever is distracting you is not going away until you look it in the eye. Set a time limit (Rule #1) and then walk away. Take back your creative perspective, and own your writing priorities.
Writing priorities are doors that are open. What do you want to do? Are you daydreaming because you’re bored? Or is it because there’s a lot on your mind? Are you clear about where you stand and what you want with your writing?
Rule # 5
Respect your self.
Not respecting your self is a way of doubting. Doubt is a block. Lighten up by trusting your creative drive. Hostility never motivated any quality momentum. Instead, it creates a vindictive attitude and feels like self-sabotage a.k.a. writer’s block.
Until you are on your final draft, don’t worry about what anyone thinks. Don’t allow ego to derail your drive to write. Focus on what you need to say, how you want to say it, why you are saying it, and let it speak. Respecting your self is being clear about your priorities when you sit down to write. Take the leap.
Rule#6
Maintain a sense of humor
Taking your self very seriously when you write is a stress producing an ego block. Laughing at the writing challenges will help maintain your perspective, and enhance your creative flow. Laughter will consistently derail your ego and spark creative energy.
People write because experiencing creative passion is rewarding, not because it’s fun. Keeping in touch with your sense of humor about writing, will derail ego demands, and refresh your creative drive.
Only amateurs say that they write for their own amusement. Writing is not an amusing occupation. It is a combination of ditch digging, mountain-climbing, treadmill and childbirth... But amusing? Never. ~ Anonymous
Clearly writing creates a sense of accomplishment that comes, like mountain climbing, with focused effort. The quote, above, is amusing, because it’s true. When you “get” humor, you understand it. Understanding brings clarity, and clarity is the opposite of writer’s block. Clarity releases stress.
Humor is a block buster. For example: the title “KNOCK YOUR BLOCK OFF!” makes me laugh, because I find it ironic. Humor refreshes perspective about what I’m writing.
Rule #7
Don’t fake it.
As long as you are writing from a place of fear or doubt, your ego is winning. Acknowledge and recognize if you feel uncomfortable. You cannot manipulate your ego with bravado. The core of all accomplishment is being true to your self. Do it without being judgmental and allow your creative voice to flourish.
Be real. You wouldn’t be reading this if you were a fraud. The curiosity driving you is connected with your creativity, and alive and well.
Respect your creative self. Loving words is a private hedonistic pleasure of writers, but don’t let their charms take you out of your creative flow.
• When you feel blocked answer these questions:
1.Why do I want to write about ___________?
2. How do I want to write about ___________?
3. Who am I writing this for?
4. What do I want to clarify here?
When you reach the point where you are defacing your creative draft with blocked language, stop. Apply rules #1-6.
Do a scan of your whole mind. Know yourself. Consider your emotions, and consider, your creative drive. A writer’s humility is a blend of honesty, compassion, and self-respect. Look at what is plugging up your writing from a place of humility and it will knock your ego out of the picture.
IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE
Writer’s block is a lock-down of your creative process. It is a result of technical, intellectual, or emotional misunderstandings or unconscious habits, which shut down your creative drive. A common knee jerk reaction to writer’s block is feeling restless. This restless edge plugs the unfolding of your creative process. Even though writing is an Art, all writing is a process with a purpose that has to unfold.
You write to communicate. Writer’s block is a clear signal that you are off-track. When you write, the point is to connect with your reader or listener. Blocked communication is the “block” in Writer’s Block. It happens to everyone because writing is a route to get from one place to the other, without a map, where nothing is predictable, and being de-railed could be part of the process.
Every writing experience runs the emotional gauntlet. :
The act of writing is an energy flow that can raise your spirit, turn you numb, be intimate, feel seductive, and will slap you in the face with a word. Most writers fall in love with their words. Unfortunately love is blind. Falling in love with your words makes you vulnerable to writer’s block.
Love is a sweet tyranny, because the lover endureth his torments willingly. ~Proverb
Writing through writer’s block is intellectual and not ego driven. :
Writing is a tool of your mind. Your mind is equally intellect and ego driven. The ego is your personality. The urge to write is a desire or feeling that transcends your ego and empowers your intellect. Responding to the urge to write is tricky, because your habit is to identify with the ego. Unfortunately, letting your ego be in control while you are writing is like being tied up, and not having any fun.
Writing is technical. :
Generally editors and agents won’t read a manuscript that is not properly formatted. Writing is a process. Technical blocks are ignorance, and habits that stop you from being recognized as a writer. Writing includes the ability to plan, and also, knowing when to change effectively. Learn the rules, and play to win. Otherwise writer’s block will make you dizzy.
No author dislikes to be edited as much as he dislikes not to be published. ~Russell Lynes
Regardless of what’s causing your block, the signs are universal. Here are some universal symptoms of writer’s block. Each of these takes your focus away from writing. :
Panic-
Panic is a total choke, when you feel desperate, and at the end of your rope. Panic creates an instant disconnect from your creative energy. Instead of even thinking about writing, you are thinking about why you can’t, and how you’re going to get around it.
Worry and Anxiety-
Worry and fear blur thinking. Anxiety is writer’s block that distorts your whole thought process. That includes creative thoughts. It knocks your perspective about writing out of sync with your creative energy. Imagine trying to walk with one leg going backward and one going forward. Worry and anxiety tie you in a knot.
Resentment-
Resentment is an uncomfortable love / hate relationship with your writing. It’s like being in a relationship where you’re not exactly sure of where you stand. You feel restless. Your relationship with your creative drive is stalled.
Day dreaming-
Daydreaming is when focus on writing is the same as mindless eating in front of the TV. It’s being out of touch with what you’re doing. The writing question is why? What would your rather be doing? What are you avoiding?
Beating your self up-
Beating your self up is fear of failure. You don’t think you’re good enough. Insecurity in your head keeps you from focusing on writing, and that is the block. Some people beat their self up so badly that they give up. Others become good at putting up blocks so that they never have to face their “imagined failure.” People make them selves ill rather than dealing with moving ahead. Writing is not easy, but that’s no reason to beat your self up.
Faking it-
Faking it is never as good as the real thing. Faking it is when you forge ahead without staying in sync with your writing energy. When energy is faked or contrived, writing comes through as dull. It’s the opposite of being in the flow.
Knocking aside writer’s block is a strategy of your mind working with your creative psyche to cut through extra words and expose the heart of your writing. If you are not working with a deadline and you’re blocked, put your writing away and enjoy the free time. It’s always helpful to step away from your writing for a breather. Do something you need to do. Where is the writing pressure coming from? If you are under deadline, take a ½ hour to distract your mind, so that when you return you have a fresh perspective. Your mind working with your psyche is how to keep your writing priorities clear. You allow it to happen by understanding it.
Connecting with the foundation of your writing is the beginning of knocking off your writer’s block. These exercises can help you be clear about what you want to do. :
• Before you begin writing, remember why you’re doing it. What did you intend to write?
• Before you begin, imagine yourself completing an effective piece of writing that will get the result you desire. Keep that feeling.
• Before you begin, envision the finished product. See it published, produced or otherwise received. Keep that image in your mind.