| Years ago at a presentation at the UCLA Extension | | | | page", where the rest of the world floats away as |
| Writer's Program, I promised an audience to teach | | | | you 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 did | | | | in 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 cannot | | | | moved into the danger zone, where the dancer |
| break writer's block, which told me all I need to know | | | | becomes 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 then | | | | just 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, but | | | | schools 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 block | | | | and editing. If necessary, wear different hats, or sit in |
| is the inability to | | | | different chairs for each. NEVER DO BOTH IN THE |
| 1) Produce new text. | | | | SAME SESSION |
| 2) Edit and polish existing text | | | | 2) Set yourself a daily output that will get you to your |
| 3) Finish projects on a reasonable schedule | | | | goal 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 definition | | | | 3) Explore and specifically study "Flow State" as a |
| of the root cause of Writer's Block that will actually | | | | discipline. 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 two | | | | yoga, etc.) that opens a doorway to this inner world. |
| different states of mind: the Flow state, where you | | | | 4) Listen to largo rhythm, sixty-beat per minute string |
| produce new text, and the Editing state, where you | | | | music. 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 far | | | | music with lyrics, but soft jazz is also terrific. |
| more reading than we have writing, and spend far | | | | 5) Practice making pictures in your mind, and then |
| more time in critical analysis of finished, polished work | | | | writing down what you see WITHOUT judging the |
| of the masters than in experiencing our own early | | | | quality of your descriptions. You want to enhance the |
| drafts. So when we try to create text, we measure | | | | connection between your deep consciousness and |
| our first draft efforts against the polished work of the | | | | your 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 million | | | | day. |
| 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 you | | | | started. 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 important | | | | And 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 state | | | | unconscious...and greater joy in the act of creation. |
| where time seems to vanish, where you "fall into the | | | | |