by Margi Bettelyoun

Created on: August 16, 2009

Writer's block is an abstract concept to all but those who have it; to them it is as concrete as the Great Wall of China. It is a condition where your mind does not function on the task at hand. The sufferer will lose focus, doodle, pace, eat outrageous amounts, or find some other way to avoid the problem all together.

When you read, you think of things to write. When you have a conversation, you think of things to write. When you go for a walk, you think of things to write. When you are a writer and have writers block, none of these things work. Life as you knew it ceases to exist. You look everywhere and anywhere for relief. You leave your work for a while, you take a longer walk, read, watch tv, eat, wash the dishes and sweep the floor. You search for inspiration as if it were lost keys. Sometimes, you may even second guess yourself; was I even cut out to be a writer? But with writers block you are searching for keys that you already found. You searched for them so long that it has become customary for your eyes to scan counters and corners, looking for keys that are already in your hand. That is writers block. You are looking for inspiration that is already in your hand, on the tip of your tongue, in the back of your mind. You just need a good, jarring jolt to bring you back to reality. Stop looking for the keys, you idiot! You already found them! You already know how to write, maybe even what to write; you just have to do it. You need a good, firm slap to the head or a gentle tap on the shoulder by your guardian angel.

You don't need to go searching for inspiration; it is there with your keys. You need a jolt of discipline to just start writing. Take a blank piece of paper and write the alphabet, then write ten words for every letter. If that doesn't work, write a letter to yourself to be read after you have been cured of the block! Once you smell the ink the juices will start lubricating the gears of your mind, opening doors and drawers.

If all else fails, write about writers block until your world comes back into focus and you can continue with your task.

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