Comments on: Getting over writer's block

By: Stephen A. Watkins

Stephen A. Watkins — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:15:04 +0000

Ah, there's the problem: it's that I am an idiot. My memory was all dumbified, and I kept thinking the Unicorn post was the most recent (after Bunyip), so I scanned the list on the Categories page quickly and the word "unicorn" didn't pop out at me (since I was expecting to see it at the top of the list).

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:48:55 +0000

Weird, its the 5th one from the top! (if I look at the category) Does This link work for you?

By: Stephen A. Watkins

Stephen A. Watkins — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:47:23 +0000

It's weird... if I go to the "Creature Compendium" link under Categories, I don't see it...

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:40:35 +0000

Being busy is always a challenge, but I'm sure it will come again!

By: Jay Noel

Jay Noel — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:09:11 +0000

Glad to see you've got things flowing again. My droughts happen in terms of weeks. It's going on three weeks of nothing - but I'm busy with reading ARCs and stuff for fellow writer friends. Hopefully inspiration will strike again.

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:12:16 +0000

Ohh how exciting! :D Now that is a valid distraction, and a welcome one, I think hehe.

By: Tiyana

Tiyana — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:56:56 +0000

How exciting! You're always such an inspiration, Theresa. :)

Lately, over the past couple of days, I've been more distracted from the WIP than suffering from writer's block. Kinda met someone...lol.

Well, let's just say this is a new problem for me!

Luckily this person regularly expresses interest in my progress without being a Nazi about it, lol, so I can't use this as an excuse. Just gotta get my head back in the game & make up for lost time.

Though, having this deadline set, I'm still determined not to let little set-backs keep me from reaching my goal. :)

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:32:19 +0000

Thanks Dani!

By: Danielle La Paglia

Danielle La Paglia — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 14:58:33 +0000

That's awesome, Teresa. I know sometimes we get so caught up in the mechanics of learning the craft that the joy can get lost in the mix. Congrats on finding your once again. Can't wait to see what comes of the sparks.

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 15:52:54 +0000

Hrm?? It's still there if I search for it or click the 'creature compendium' link! Let me know if its still not showing up for you.

By: Stephen A. Watkins

Stephen A. Watkins — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 15:11:53 +0000

Also... what happened to the Unicorn post? It seems to have disappeared from your page...

By: Stephen A. Watkins

Stephen A. Watkins — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 15:02:40 +0000

Amen to the "second or third job" comment. I sometimes get just a teensy bit annoyed at the "writer's write" and "butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard" mantras that often get repeated. It's good advice, as far as that goes... but when writing is in fact, a second or third job, it has to take back seat to other priorities. And for a lot of us, sadly, that means day jobs and families and other things come first. We don't often have the luxury of choice about when there's time to sit down and write.

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:08:51 +0000

Yes that's very true, and that's exactly why we get paid vacation time. It's even more of a problem when writing is already a second job or third job (after family), and there's less mental/physical capacity left over. Sometimes we have other priorities, and sometimes it's difficult to balance everything.

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:41:58 +0000

That is an excellent and very practical blog post! Sometimes it just takes time to come up with a solution. A few years is more than I'd like to wait, but it would be worth it if it was a story I really believed in :)

By: Stephen A. Watkins

Stephen A. Watkins — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:47:13 +0000

Glad you're finding your way clear of your writer's block - and especially that your calendar is finally leaving you a little breathing room. Being so super-busy that you don't have brain-space left for writing is a sad state of affairs... but in my own head I don't think of that as "writer's block". Rather, I think of that as just plain old, ordinary exhaustion. I've heard often things like "{insert profession here} doesn't get {insert profession here}'s block, so why do writers get writer's block?". But the truth is, I think, all professionals in any field can get worked to the point of exhaustion (though that point varies by person and profession). That's different than saying something like "my muse isn't working today" or giving some other excuse for why you'd rather be doing anything else. Physical and mental exhaustion are very real problems.

By: Anthony Lee Collins

Anthony Lee Collins — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:25:50 +0000

That's great news!

I think it's good to realize that there are a lot of different reasons for "writer's block." As you said, "I believe it was related to being overly stressed in other areas..." That's often the case.

For me I was stuck writing my second novels for a couple of years because there was one plot point I couldn't solve. I wrote a lot of movie reviews until, one day (in one minute) I came up with the answer. But I wasn't going to fudge -- I was waiting for an answer that really worked.

My favorite post about writer's block is here: http://tinyurl.com/dxp2sp8

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:15:47 +0000

I usually do too, but I've never had the low point last so long. SO relieved it's over. OH P.S. I started reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I LOVE it. I keep giggling to myself as I read. Thanks for the recommendation!

By: T. S. Bazelli

T. S. Bazelli — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:14:21 +0000

Thanks!

By: Kristan

Kristan — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:12:40 +0000

All I can say is, I HEAR YA SISTAH.

(Except, you know, I would never *actually* say it. Or at least not like that. :P)

In all seriousness, I think this is normal (unfortunately) and I find myself going through it in cycles. I'm glad you're finding your way out to the happier, brighter, wordier side. :)

By: John Wiswell

John Wiswell — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:08:10 +0000

It's okay, you don't have to share! But congratulations on producing work again, TS. That's a huge step.