by M. J. Joachim

Created on: May 31, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2010

Writer’s block, the inability to generate ideas and transform them into the written word, is a symptom of writer’s burnout. It is a warning sign indicating a desperate need to rejuvenate your soul, lest you hinder any aptitude for writing altogether. Perhaps the well has run dry for the time being, but not because there is nothing in it; maybe you’ve simply used up the energy needed to get anything out of it.

If you think of writer’s block as something you can control, you will be able to conquer it by feeding your mind, body and spirit. Once that happens, the words will begin to flow, not always the way you want them to, but they will flow just the same. Writer’s burnout won’t stand a chance of developing if you learn to control the symptoms of writer’s block.

*Preventing Writer’s Block

~State of Mind: Take into account your present mood, physical status and mantra. Notice how these things get reflected in your writing. Believe it or not, your positive and negative energy are clearly expressed in your written words. Randomly write down all your feelings without thinking about them. Then add nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs to each word you wrote down. Let your feelings speak for themselves, without forcing grammatical technicalities on them.

~Review Other Works: Take time to read and study well researched works by other authors. Choose works that are absolutely dry and boring. Think about how you can make improvements on these pieces, allowing them to entertain your readers while still providing relevant and accurate information.

~Join a Writer’s Group: Discuss current trends in writing and learn new tricks of the trade. Make friends with other writers. Share a common bond and bounce ideas off each other. Writing can be an extremely isolated career, but not when you share it with people who go through the same things you do.

~Actively Participate in Life: Watch the news, play sports, tour local museums and enjoy your hobbies. Writers need to be involved in the world around them to be able to write about things effectively. Words flow from passion, not empty emotions. Passion occurs when people are engaged in the world around them. Writer’s block cannot set in if you make a point to discover new things to write about.

*Conquering Writer’s Block

~Examine Past Writing: Look at the history of your written work. Try to remember your state of mind when you wrote different pieces. Consider the

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