Breaking Through Writer's Block

For several months now (I hate to admit how long), I've been suffering from writer's block. While I have been able to do my book and Website reviews, I have had trouble with creative writing and coming up with new ideas for columns.

As you can see, I've changed my publication schedule from weekly to monthly to give myself some breathing room. Since I'm supposed to start writing a weekly column for a local newspaper next week, I decided it's high time I work on breaking this writer's block.

Natalie Goldberg's treasured guides

My two all-time favorite block-breakers are Wild Mind and Writing Down the Bones, both from Natalie Goldberg. Her philosophy is that daily writing practice, pouring out everything in your mind onto paper, is the key to writing well. And the key to writing practice is to keep your hand moving even if you have nothing to say. So in the coming weeks, I've promised myself to devote 20 to 30 minutes to writing practice. And if I'm stuck for a starting point, as is often the case lately, Goldberg's short chapters offer plenty of suggestions. My technique is to simply open one of the books at random and do whatever it says, building on her ideas when I don't have any of my own. I reviewed Wild Mind last year.

A whole-brained approach

Another good book for breaking up a serious writer's block is Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser. Like Goldberg, Klauser uses a psychological approach to writing, aimed at smashing through barriers in your mind and unlocking the grip of the Critic. Klauser also takes the approach that all of us must write, whether for work or pleasure, so she doesn't assume a natural writing ability. While I'm sure most of my readers have some writing talent, I know I've benefited in the past from Klauser's approach. I've also used it with good effect in my writing classes.

Her chapter titles say a lot about her approach:

• From Panic to Power: Mastery over the Written Word
• The Hair of the Dog that Bit You (this is similar to Goldberg's Writing Practice)
• Right Brain/ Left Brain: What's It All About?
• Rumination: Daydreaming and Nightdreaming
• Branching: A Whole-Brained Way to Organize Your Material
• Procrastination: Not Just Around but Behind It
• Assertiveness Training: Dealing with the Caliban Critic
• Re-Vision: Caliban Returns, at Your Invitation
• Going to the Movies: Creative Visualization and Writing

  Right now, this seems like just the kind of writer's manual I need. And while I hope none of you suffers from a serious block, this is a great book to keep in mind for those times when the writing just doesn't flow.

  The copyright of the article Breaking Through Writer's Block in Resources for Writers is owned by Roxianne Moore. Permission to republish Breaking Through Writer's Block in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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