Self-Devpt. Nuggets™

Sometimes you just don’t feel like writing. It happens to the best of us. You make (what you consider) the best efforts, and no words come. Your fingers just hang over the keyboard. That is if you even get as far as seating yourself in front of the computer in the first place!

Writer’s Block They Call It

Yes. It’s the word so often used to describe that experience.

But I ask: What exactly is being “blocked”?

The words you want to write? Or the inspiration to write?

“What difference does it make?” you ask.

A considerable difference, I argue…

I happen to believe it’s the inspiration to write that’s being blocked…or to put it more accurately: the inspiration to write IS NOT THERE!

You see, in my (now decade long ) experience of writing as an entrepreneur, I have come to one conclusion.

And it’s this:

The best kind of writing happens most often when it is not forced.

In other words, great writing is frequently inspired writing!

That’s writing that happens, without the writer needing to make conscious effort to think of what to “say”, or indeed how to “say” it.

At least not for the first draft…

At that stage, you simply need the words to come!

And the key to making the words come, is to be inspired. You must be able to connect with whatever inspires you to write.

Now, that could be anything. From your past or present experiences, to something you read, or heard.

Whatever, it must be something that drives you to want to express your feelings in words.

This is why we are encouraged to focus on writing about subjects we are passionate about.

It is also why proven writing experts strongly advise, that one learn how to deliberately make the conscious connection with our passions.

Another way I believe that can be described is with the phrase “Getting into Flow” or “Getting into The Zone”.

When you’re in the zone, you effectively become one with your subconscious.

And once you attain that elevated state of mind, the uppermost thoughts you nurse will trigger a release of relevant feedback to your mind.

This is what results in the FLOW of words that comes in response to your subconscious desire to write.

A good indication that a writer is in the above state of mind is that s/he will write MUCH faster!

The quote below, credited to a successful writer, confirms the accuracy of the above statements:

“The faster I write, the better my output. If I’m going slow, I’m in trouble. It means I’m pushing the words instead of being pulled by them.” – Raymond Chandler

Now, my point here (with respect to the so-called writer’s block) is that you can actually train yourself to get into the writing mood, more or less any time you want.

That ability will effectively make you immune to writer’s block.

Here’s a point to remember…

Your passion feeds off what you have deep interest in, and love for.

Any subject – be it a person or thing – that dominates your thoughts and emotions will fuel your passions.

What I’m saying here, in effect, is that you can train yourself to deliberately channel your passions, to achieve your writing goals, whenever you want.

Once the draft is out, “cleaning up your prose” (i.e. editing and proof-reading) will often be a more conscious exercise.

And very often, you’ll find that you can still tap from your subconscious to improve on the quality of what you’ve written.

Even as you do the more clinical editing for spelling, and grammar.

Now, I make no claims to having attained perfection in the writing I do.

However, what I have shared above is the MAIN strategy I have successfully used, over the past 20 years, to successfully start and finish ANY kind of writing I have had to do.

Judging by the great results I’ve been getting (and THIS BLOG is one good example), there must be some truth in what I’ve said in this article.

This is why I suggest that you may find the ideas offered above useful too :-))