Writing Tips: Writer's Block? Never Again!

I could sit here and tell you some mundane things like . . .

First, find a comfortable place to write.

Second, if you find yourself unable to write as you have in the past, try a different place. Or use a different instrument. If you're used to using the computer, try a pen or pencil. Clear your mind and begin. If nothing comes out just write what comes to mind and  . . .

La de da da da. Ho, hum.

You've seen these cliche and boring tips. Well, you're not going to get them here. Nope. Here I'll give you what works for me and what will work for most writers. I can tell you from personal experience that not only do these "how to overcome writer's block" or "beat writer's block" techniques work, they work too well. Got writer's block? I'll give ya writer's diarrhea, I will. OK, sorry about that but that's what I call it and I call it the way I see it. And with three kids (19, 14, and 4) I guess cleaning up is near and dear to my heart . . . hands and knees, pail and bucket. Anyway.

Overcoming writer's block is a LOT easier than people think. And there are no boring, mundane little tips that will really help you the way you need help. Most of those tips are crap. Sorry, I seem to be going with toilet themes today. Sorry, again. I'll clean up my act. Got a few baby wipes right here . . . OK, ready.

One of the main reasons you've got block is lack of fire, umph, gusto, go power. Watch some Speed Racer, Powerpuff Girls, Dragonball Z, and feel the energy because that's what you're missing. My techniques work so well that while I was writing a piece of fiction I was writing copious notes for a non-fiction that came from my writing (juices flowing, flowing, flowing, like hot lava going, going, going . . . ), poems, articles, poems, articles, and so on. So, what do you do?

What do you do?

Best thing is to get out there and get out of your comfort zone. You lack energy, sister. What you really need is some inspiration, some fire, some molten lava running through your belly, brain, and veins that will run down your arm and into that writing vehicle of yours. Here's a little quote from a business guy that will help get you moving in the right direction. Here's what he has to say about deciding to take a job overseas that bumped him out of a quandary rut.

"I took the job and lived in the U.K. for five years and Switzerland for seven years. The experience convinced me that the best thing you can do to develop people is move them in ways that take them out of their comfort zone. Taking assignments that look too risky ends up helping you develop in ways you wouldn't if you stayed narrowly in one function" Ken Powell, CEO General Mills (P.S. I'd also suggest some of Ken's Wheaties--yum! yum! and go! go!)

Bottom line, you need to streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch and get out of your comfort zone. I've been doing this for years. I grew up in Connecticut and then moved to Boston and then Los Angeles as an entertainer alone, sans all support, family and friends. The stretching to my character, the experiences, and the fire it has put under me butt (Hey! He touched the butt!) is priceless. But there's more to this getting over writer's block.

So, you were looking for some safe little tips, huh? Well, you've come to the wrong place. Only the hard stuff here. Nose to the grindstone, let's get ready to roll up ourselves and sweat a little . . . or a lot, however you see it. But if you want little safe tips like . . . OK, now, let's make sure you've implemented a schedule, learned not to be hard on yourself (just relax, deep breath), think of writing as a job less as an art, set deadlines and keep them, try writing exercises, and re-consider that writing space . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . blub, blub, blub, sorry, took a nod there.

HEY! THIS IS CRAP!!! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE EXPERIENCE!!! GET UP, GET OUT, GET GOING, AND FIND THAT FIRE IN YOUR VEINS LIKE I TOLD YOU!!!!!

Sorry, that parent thing kicked in again; too much yelling. Now, with your inside voice, Barney?

Move around. That's another big tip. I've lived in, let's see, (counting to self) 4 different states, on two different coasts, 11 different towns, and 22 different addresses. And I'm only nine-years-old. Psych!

OK, you don't have to move that much, but traveling is a great way to get the juices flowing, and flowing, and flowing. You'll see so much crap (sorry ;=) you'll have to write. This is what happens to people. First they write to family and friends as they're traveling (mostly to make them jealous; you know the routine) but then when they get home all that "experience" is still floating in their head: sights, sounds, tastes, smells, feelings, words, faces, facades, on and on and on. It needs to, has to--can't stay in--come out! So they write and they write and they write and they write.

Then the unusual, the odd, the extraordinary happens. I'll let the dialogue of the traveling person and his stationary friend (the one he wrote to to make jealous) tell the story.

"So you know, Stationary, I wrote you, how many times from Europe?"

"Nineteen? Twenty?" Stationary says with a sigh.

"Yeah! Man that was great, but you know what?"

"What?" said Stationary, what with enthusiasm at an all time low barely able to get the word past his lips.

"Well," said Traveling, "I just can't get the experiences out of my head. And so I wrote all these travelogues. But you know what?" Not waiting for Stationary "I got to write more. So I'm going to write some of those personal things--stories. Ahh . . . "

"Personal narrative?" said almost sleepy Stationary.

"Yeah! Man, I've got so much to write!"

You get the idea.

Finally, read. Read a lot. Read deep and wide. Read it all.

You want to write, write well and write often? Read.

You can't write if you don't read. For a couple of reasons. First, that's how you steal . . . errr, borrow, ideas, style, technique, sound, pacing, and so on, if you're talking about reading fiction. And that's what I'm talkin' about here. We'll get to non-fiction in a moment.

If you like a certain writer, study the words, phrases, sentences, punctuation, diction, and so on. Get that stuff in your head for an hour and then put it aside and write through the aura or feel of the writer to add to your style. This is how musicians learn, writers, artists, even business people and politicians. They look at how those who have come before have done it and take in those ideas, then by adding their uniqueness . . viola! (using said technique) you've got YOUR writing style. Ask Thomas Jefferson about John Locke and Isaac Newton and how they inspired him.

OK, the last thing you want to do is read non-fiction. Read history, science, math, philosophy, theology, business, and so on. See how man thinks, feels, acts. What he's created. Why he's created. Where he's been, is, and is going. Why has he done what he's done. What motivates him. What gets his collective juices flowing and so on.

OK, well, I hope that's helped. And I hope that you've seen throughout this article why those "how to overcome writers block," "overcoming writers block," "beating writers block" tips never really got you anywhere. They're nice if you want to be safe and not improve, but unfortunately, improvement, even considerable or ghastly improvement, takes some "shaking-up" type of activities.

Here's to your writer's diarrhea. Cheers!