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Rachel Carson, the noted naturalist writer, was also a keen observer of the writing process. "During the actual work of creation," she once wrote, "the writer cuts himself off from all others and confronts his subject alone. He moves into a realm where he has never been before-perhaps where no one has ever been. It is a lonely place, and even a little frightening..." Anyone who has written for some time knows the solitary feeling.
Occasionally, it can become overwhelming. That's often when writer's block sets in. We hit a nosedive in Act Two. We fumble around with how to open the script. Every writer must find her own solution to writer's block.
For some, dogged persistence works. Just keep writing. Even if we feel it is useless junk, the very act of writing is therapeutic. Then, at some turning point, the writing improves. We throw out the stuff that didn't work, delirious to be on the right scent again. Or, maybe the writer moves on to a scene or topic that is less daunting-going back to the troublesome material later. Or, perhaps the writer turns to another, less taxing project.
Other writers deal with the block in exactly the opposite manner. They take a sabbatical. It may last a couple of hours or a whole week. During this time, the writer pursues other activities. Cleaning the office. Going to the park. Jogging or swimming. Reading other writers. Giving their conscious writer a break while letting the sub-conscious do some heavy lifting. Often, this time away leads to a sudden insight-the fabled "Ah-hah!" experience. Then the writer can't wait to return to the work at hand to move forward.
It's useful to know your own personal strategy for dealing with a block. That way, you can view being stuck as a normal part of the writing process. Instead of feeling paralyzed, having a coping strategy keeps the block from becoming suffocating.
Can't write, you say? Deal with it. Somehow, some way, employ a coping strategy.
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