Turn Writer's Blocks Into Stepping Stones!

Years ago at a presentation at the UCLA Extensionpage", where the rest of the world floats away as
Writer's Program, I promised an audience to teachyou concentrate. This is similar to the "hypnogogic"
them to conquer this beast once and for all. Later,state experienced just prior to sleep, and the first thing
another instructor approached me and said "why didin the morning. It is experienced in distance running,
you say that to those people? It's not possible."dancing (remember the lyrics to "Flashdance"? "She's
Poor woman. All she was saying is that SHE cannotmoved into the danger zone, where the dancer
break writer's block, which told me all I need to knowbecomes the dance") and, to be perfectly frank, it is
about her career. In all likelihood a promising beginning,experienced during sexual relations in the moments
perhaps an award-winning poem or book...and thenjust prior to orgasm. It is the dissolution of the
pain.subject-object relationship sought by numerous
It is not only possible to end writer's block forever, butschools of meditation.
you can actually use it to your advantage!1) Alternate days (or work sessions) between flow
First, let us define it in some useful way: Writer's blockand editing. If necessary, wear different hats, or sit in
is the inability todifferent chairs for each. NEVER DO BOTH IN THE
1) Produce new text.SAME SESSION
2) Edit and polish existing text2) Set yourself a daily output that will get you to your
3) Finish projects on a reasonable schedulegoal of one million words in less than 5 years. 1000
4) Send those projects out for editorial judgment.words a day will do it in three years. That's roughly
5) Continue sending them out until they are sold.comparable to earning an AA degree. Not too shabby!
Accepting the above, I'm going to give you a definition3) Explore and specifically study "Flow State" as a
of the root cause of Writer's Block that will actuallydiscipline. Do your internet searches and find a physical
help you in every arena of your life.or mental activity (running, dancing, meditation, Tai chi,
"Writer's Block is nothing more than a confusion of twoyoga, etc.) that opens a doorway to this inner world.
different states of mind: the Flow state, where you4) Listen to largo rhythm, sixty-beat per minute string
produce new text, and the Editing state, where youmusic. Vivaldi is perfect for this, and induces "Alpha"
evaluate and polish what you have written."(flow) state rapidly and effectively. Stay away from
WB is such a killer because most of us have done farmusic with lyrics, but soft jazz is also terrific.
more reading than we have writing, and spend far5) Practice making pictures in your mind, and then
more time in critical analysis of finished, polished workwriting down what you see WITHOUT judging the
of the masters than in experiencing our own earlyquality of your descriptions. You want to enhance the
drafts. So when we try to create text, we measureconnection between your deep consciousness and
our first draft efforts against the polished work of theyour typing or writing.
world's great writers. Immediately, that "this is garbage!"6) If you can't find a good meditation technique, just sit
voice goes off in your head, and you have a block.and "listen" to your own heartbeat for 15-30 minutes a
It is said that novice writers must work through a millionday.
words of garbage before reaching their true voice.There are many other ideas, but these will get you
How in the world will you ever get through it if youstarted. The most valuable thing you will learn is to
constantly judge every word? If you will learn to turn"turn off" or ignore the negative voices in your head.
that voice off, you will learn a massive and importantAnd an artist who learns to do this on demand is on
lesson about the structure of the human psyche.the way to integration of the deep levels of the
But what exactly is "Flow"? It is the psychological stateunconscious...and greater joy in the act of creation.
where time seems to vanish, where you "fall into the