Perhaps you've heard of writer's block. If you're a writer, you probably have at least a vague idea of what it's like to have writer's block. If you're not a writer, I will try to explain it as similar to dieter's block. Dieter's block is when you're trying to lose weight, but you keep getting tempted off your diet by the chocolate cake that your coworker brought to the office, or the French fries that your roommate brought home, or the jar of chocolate hazelnut creme that you just discovered in the back of the cupboard. And you know you shouldn't eat these things, but you think--aw, just this little bit. And suddenly you're off your diet. And since you ate that bowl of ice cream, what could it hurt to have a few more forbidden foods. So maybe just for today, I won't diet, but tomorrow, I'll get right back on it. And then tomorrow comes and you accidentally have a doughnut before you remember that you're supposed to be dieting. And on it goes.
So, writer's block is like that in that you know you should be writing, but there are all these distractions and even though you know that if you sit down and write, eventually you'll have something great (a better figure or a new novel chapter), compared to whatever is distracting you, it somehow doesn't seem worth it It's too painful to write, to put yourself through the discipline and the emotional and mental turmoil that it takes to write true characters and disturbing events. And anyway, you don't have any ideas right now. No ideas at all, so how can you write? Maybe a break would do you good. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day. Or next week.
I can't help you with dieter's block. All I can say is avoid, avoid, avoid tempting snacks. Threaten your coworkers with some dire consequence if they bring chocolate cake anywhere near you. Toilet paper their cars or something. (You did not hear this from me, by the way.) But writer's block is a different story.
Here are a few tactics I've used to get myself unstuck when struck with lackofstoryitis.
1) Do something else for one day or evening or whenever it is you usually write. One day does not a disaster make. And sometimes it's very helpful to just give your brain a break from thinking about the same story. Go see a movie, read a book, go out to dinner, go to a carnival. Do something fun. Feed your muse. But beware letting it drag on too long. Especially if you are writing a long work, like a novel or memoir. At least in my experience, if you stay away too long, it will get harder and harder to start again.
2) Sometimes just the sheer desire to write something, to try my hand at writing something specific will jolt me out of writer's block. So I encourage myself to write by reading blogs about writing or about writers who are doing something interesting. Google writers who interest you and look at their websites, or blogs. Think about finishing your novel, selling it, and becoming like them, with people looking at your website and wanting to be like you.
3) Awakened Minds Focus CD has helped me through a block many times. I just sit down with it and start writing and almost every time, I get something done. Except when Ariel, the rubber band cat, keeps jumping up on my desk and acting all cute, rubbing against my chin and blocking the keyboard. Then I'm pretty much doomed.
4) Write about your current story from a different angle. Recently while feeling stuck, I started writing about a therapy session where my main character went to a psychiatrist and talked about her life. I had been struggling to write a page a day of my novel, but I whipped off almost eight pages in two days when writing about the session. Then I was able to go back and work on my novel and make real progress. Some might say I wasted two days, but actually I may be able to use some of what I wrote there, if not directly then as history for my character.
5) Call me crazy, but I recommend hypnosis. There's this company called Hypnosis Network that makes CDs with liscensed hypnotherapists. I have several of their programs and I have found them useful. One in particular called the Hypnosis Experience, I've used to break out of writer's block a couple of times. It guides you through some exercises (no gym equipment needed!) that help get your brain going in the right direction. Hypnosis has been studied and used for all sorts of things, but normally, I'd say those recordings are a waste of time. These particular ones, though, seem to be really good. The company often has sales, so get on their mailing list and watch for one.
I have nothing to do with any of these companies I'm mentioning. I have just had to search high and low for ways to deal with my own inability to sit still long enough to write anything and I've been lucky enough to find these things.
6) One last suggestion: Blog about your writing dilemma. It will get you writing, get you thinking, and if you're lucky all your writer friends will email you sympathetic messages. And then you'll stop procrastinating and get to work. Like I'm about to. heh.
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And even if none of your writer friends send you sympathetic messages or post comments or anything, you will still have written something and well, that's what's important, right?
Sorry dear, I had a birthday, and then I had one day of notice that I was substitute-teaching (in which to lesson-plan and prove myself not a danger to chillins) and then I substitute-taught. I've been shirking my blogs.
Now, one reason I place some credence in the grumpy saying "There's no such thing as writer's block!" is this: your definition of writer's block is very different from mine. I say writer's block is when you try to write and cannot; when ideas dry up or every sentence you write looks horrible. What you've described there is a pinch of that, and a peck of my normal life (distraction and procrastination). It seems to me that a critter whose description changes so much may be mythical -- and since he's a troublesome critter, I'd rather not retell his myths and give substance to his being.
Basically, I think calling it by this massive name, which has been used in so many contexts and stories and movies, gives it more power in your life.
That said, what you've described is painfully real. As I said above, it's a big problem for me. Let's agree to disagree on what it is, and I'll call it by the meditation term "monkey mind".
Here are some things that help me, to add to your list:
This maybe adds to your #2: inspirational quotes. Ron Carlson says when you are writing and you get up to get a snack, that's your subconscious wussing out of what you're about to write, which is important stuff. I don't want to miss the important stuff! I'll eat later! Also, of course, the David Long "The muse is your butt in a seat" mantra.
New one: Go somewhere else. My writing space seems to rotate around my house anyway, but going to the library or a coffeeshop can remove the distractions of home and give me room and isolation to write. Also, as soon as I get ready to go, I'm going to a friend's house -- she's having a writing open house, where we all sit about and write. I've never gone before, but peer pressure sounds helpful!
I find hanging out with other writers can qualify under #2 as well. It gets me excited to write.
Recently, I've been trying keeping track of my writing time in a spreadsheet (Compositon, Submission, Transcription, yada yada) -- I find I don't want to lie about what I'm doing, so while I'm 'on the clock' I resist online distractions better.
I think your suggestions are good ones. I think you have the tools you need assembled. I think you don't need my support or permission, but I give it to you anyway: you can write, and you should write, and you will write. Zoom!
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