| Years ago at a presentation at the UCLA | | | | |
| Extension Writer's Program, I promised an | | | | But what exactly is "Flow"? It is the |
| audience to teach them to conquer this beast | | | | psychological state where time seems to |
| once and for all. Later, another instructor | | | | vanish, where you "fall into the page", where |
| approached me and said "why did you say that | | | | the rest of the world floats away as you |
| to those people? It's not possible." | | | | concentrate. This is similar to the |
| | | | "hypnogogic" state experienced just prior to |
| Poor woman. All she was saying is that SHE | | | | sleep, and the first thing in the morning. It |
| cannot break writer's block, which told me | | | | is experienced in distance running, dancing |
| all I need to know about her career. In all | | | | (remember the lyrics to "Flashdance"? "She's |
| likelihood a promising beginning, perhaps an | | | | moved into the danger zone, where the dancer |
| award-winning poem or book...and then pain. | | | | becomes the dance") and, to be perfectly |
| | | | frank, it is experienced during sexual |
| It is not only possible to end writer's block | | | | relations in the moments just prior to |
| forever, but you can actually use it to your | | | | orgasm. It is the dissolution of the |
| advantage! | | | | subject-object relationship sought by |
| | | | numerous schools of meditation. |
| First, let us define it in some useful way: | | | | |
| Writer's block is the inability to | | | | 1) Alternate days (or work sessions) between |
| | | | flow and editing. If necessary, wear |
| 1) Produce new text. | | | | different hats, or sit in different chairs |
| | | | for each. NEVER DO BOTH IN THE SAME SESSION |
| 2) Edit and polish existing text | | | | |
| | | | 2) Set yourself a daily output that will get |
| 3) Finish projects on a reasonable schedule | | | | you to your goal of one million words in less |
| | | | than 5 years. 1000 words a day will do it in |
| 4) Send those projects out for editorial | | | | three years. That's roughly comparable to |
| judgment. | | | | earning an AA degree. Not too shabby! |
| | | | |
| 5) Continue sending them out until they are | | | | 3) Explore and specifically study "Flow |
| sold. | | | | State" as a discipline. Do your internet |
| | | | searches and find a physical or mental |
| Accepting the above, I'm going to give you a | | | | activity (running, dancing, meditation, Tai |
| definition of the root cause of Writer's | | | | chi, yoga, etc.) that opens a doorway to this |
| Block that will actually help you in every | | | | inner world. |
| arena of your life. | | | | |
| | | | 4) Listen to largo rhythm, sixty-beat per |
| "Writer's Block is nothing more than a | | | | minute string music. Vivaldi is perfect for |
| confusion of two different states of mind: | | | | this, and induces "Alpha" (flow) state |
| the Flow state, where you produce new text, | | | | rapidly and effectively. Stay away from music |
| and the Editing state, where you evaluate and | | | | with lyrics, but soft jazz is also terrific. |
| polish what you have written." | | | | |
| | | | 5) Practice making pictures in your mind, and |
| WB is such a killer because most of us have | | | | then writing down what you see WITHOUT |
| done far more reading than we have writing, | | | | judging the quality of your descriptions. You |
| and spend far more time in critical analysis | | | | want to enhance the connection between your |
| of finished, polished work of the masters | | | | deep consciousness and your typing or |
| than in experiencing our own early drafts. So | | | | writing. |
| when we try to create text, we measure our | | | | |
| first draft efforts against the polished work | | | | 6) If you can't find a good meditation |
| of the world's great writers. Immediately, | | | | technique, just sit and "listen" to your own |
| that "this is garbage!" voice goes off in | | | | heartbeat for 15-30 minutes a day. |
| your head, and you have a block. | | | | |
| | | | There are many other ideas, but these will |
| It is said that novice writers must work | | | | get you started. The most valuable thing you |
| through a million words of garbage before | | | | will learn is to "turn off" or ignore the |
| reaching their true voice. How in the world | | | | negative voices in your head. And an artist |
| will you ever get through it if you | | | | who learns to do this on demand is on the way |
| constantly judge every word? If you will | | | | to integration of the deep levels of the |
| learn to turn that voice off, you will learn | | | | unconscious...and greater joy in the act of |
| a massive and important lesson about the | | | | creation. |
| structure of the human psyche. | | | | |