- reading what I love
- reading what I'm not really interested in
- jotting down notes of the first thing that enters my mind
- writing prompts
- daydreaming
- watching movies
- and, yes, even tossing my balled up paper sheets into the wastebasket practicing my free throw,
and still nothing worked. So, I did what they tell writers not to do: I gave up. Well, gave up trying to force the ideas to come anyway. I didn't pick up my pen and paper or open Word on my laptop for two weeks. I let the stress go of trying to come up with some new twists for the wonderful ideas my critique group had given me. After all, it was Thanksgiving and I had lamb, potatoes and chocolate pie to concentrate on. And...
Okay, you know what happened. Slowly, at first, but then each day, I had an idea for a new character, a new plot, a new setting, but the only thing I allowed myself to do was jot down the idea in my idea notebook. I would not let myself start writing. I didn't want to ruin the fresh flow of ideas that finally seemed to come again.
If any of you follow Formula One racing, you'll know that the first race to take place on American soil in some years was held in Austin, Texas, the weekend of Nov. 16-18. I had signed up to take a class called, "Literary PR Bootcamp," given by a wonderful speaker, Jennifer Hill Robenault. I almost didn't go to the class, which was on Saturday, because it was held at St. Edwards University near the heart of downtown Austin. Did I mention Formula One racing was that weekend? I feared traffic would be a nightmare and I kept going back and forth on whether or not I should attend. Well, I went. And I'm glad I did.
The class was super informative on ways to market your book. If any of you get a chance to hear Jennifer, I encourage you to seize the opportunity. Loaded with information on what to do once you're done with your book, the course did more for me. It re-energized me into wanting to continue my writing in order to get to the point where I'm ready to market it. And little by little, the writer's block cloud that had been weighing me down began to lift and I could start imagining scenes and dialog once more.
I envy writer's who can sit down and write seven days a week. I am not one of them. And though I don't have a crystal ball for telling anyone else how to conquer writer's block--because how one surpasses it is different for everyone--I can say that the cloud does lift, the skies do turn blue again and the pen (or fingers) will start writing once more.
So don't give up for good...maybe just a week or two and take some classes in between.
