I don’t get “writer’s block,” which in my not humble
enough opinion is clinical depression as manifested in a writer. But I do have chapters
of what I call “writer’s drought.”
Writer’s drought is when the sentences don’t flow. When the
sentences are halting, the paragraphs come to a crawl, and the pages barely
move. The joy of being “in the zone” is nowhere to be found.
What to do? I can only speak of what I do.
The first thing I do is believe. This will pass,
and soon. That’s crucial.
And so, it does. Always. Faith is not just for the supranatural
or accepting the word of God.
The second thing I do is look around and find a device. A
device, in this case, is something that will intrigue and restart the flow of
questions. It can be an object or a photograph. It can be a sentence. Once the
questions begin to trickle in, the writing does as well.
Because, at the core, stories are asking and then answering
questions.
On the plot level, the question is, “what’s next?”
On the character’s arc, the question is, “Who or what is
driving you?”
On the theme, the question is, “Why?”
A good device bubbles up questions. The questions are like
dew drops, covering the parched surface of the writer’s drought’s shell. Before
long, it’s raining.
Mirkak, who is a different Mirka, (not me) has periodic difficulties posting on my blog even as she is a wonderful reader (and editor) for it. Sometimes my blog puts her comments through, sometimes it reuses. I haven't been able to solve this issue with Blogger. Today, again, she emailed me her comment for me to post for her after yet again “try later” from this blog’s comment section.
ReplyDelete“Wonderful that you have ways to pull you out of a drought. I've never had writer's block and, thus, have never understood it. I have always had too many ideas to work with. The challenge is choosing which one to follow all the way through when they are all enticing.”
Sounds like an interesting strategy, Mirka. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice about finding a device to break through the drought.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of finding a device! I find that writing in my journal or making a list often pushes me out of the drought. Also, the drought is also my sign that something is off or not working, so I know better now than to just push through.
ReplyDeleteI've had writer's drought the past few months on coming up with new ideas for a story! Will have to find a "device" that will kick my mind in gear! Happy writing.
ReplyDelete