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Beating Writer's Block
Workshop with Maura Zubieta | October 12, 2006
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A. What is Writer's Block?
- 1. The buildup that prevents the natural and free flow of writing from the writer's pen into the page.
- 2. The buildup can be among many things:
- a. Stress
- b. Fear
- c. Anxiety for Perfection or Control
- d. Having a depleted Image Tank
- e. Cluttered Mind ( Not Knowing where to start!)
- f. Negative emotions or states like depression
- g. Add your own!
B. The Chest Tools for Recovery: Every writer can and should make a habit out of these to prevent
blockages from happening. Remember, Writing is a natural flow, to have and keep this natural flow.
- 1. "Write Morning" or "Night Pages"
- a. This means writing first thing in the morning or right before going to sleep or both! Why?
because the act of writing everything a writer has on his/her head in the morning is an act of
de-cluttering or "vomiting" on the page.
- b. Freewriting in the morning or before sleep allows a writer to get rid of the "junk" and make room/
for what wants and needs to be said.
- 2. Replenishing the Writer's Tank with the "Writer's Date"
- a. Writers have an IMAGE TANK that needs to be continuously replenished. When this image tank is
low, a writer might find him/herself blanked out because there are no images, nothing refreshing
and new in the writer's mind.
- b. The writer's date demands that a writer spend two hours per week going to a favorite place alone
Alone means no family members, loved ones, coworkers, etc. This date means, "me, myself and I".
- c. Why? Being alone is a natural way to connect with your inner voice, and with what your inner
voice, God, and/or higher self is trying to say! This writer's date allows you to refilter the image
tank, to have a place were to extract images unique to your experience, view of life.
C. Freewriting and more Freewriting! How do we go about just writing and allowing ourselves to write?
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1. Battling the Demon of Perfection
- a. In our present society we are told that, or at least the message that a lot of writers get is
that we must "mass produce" a piece of writing in the fastest way and that,
Not only should our writing be done quickly, it must be "perfect".
- b. Well, guess what fellow writers, There's NO SUCH THING!
- c. Writing is an artistic and free flowing Process and we need to approach it as such.
- d. Writing is not linear, it's a circle that moves back and forth and shapes itself as you create.
- d. Allowing ourselves to free write, to say what we want and need to say comes first.
- e. Freewriting is writing nonstop in our paper wihout judgment or expectations.
- 2. Criticism comes last, .....I mean L A S T !
- a. Only after you have said everything you needed and wanted in your freewrite and allowed your
papers to, "air out" for a day or more should you go back and start making "corrections"
- b. If you have a Gynormous Critic inside you, allow others who might be less critical that you to read
what you are working on and give you positive and negative feedback that you trust.
- 3. Remember that Writing is FUN and flows naturally!
For your writing to flow, you must LOVE not only what you write about, but most importantly who you
are as a human being and as a writer. You will find that as you continually take time for yourself and
love yourself, you will gain the courage you need to say what you need and want to say in your papers.
May your Writing and Everything you Do Be For The Highest Good Of All!
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