by Dallas Spires

Created on: October 08, 2009

Writers' Block may have different sources for different writers. Some writers may be afraid of what they will say or of the time-commitment needed in order to write. Some may not have a clear enough idea of what they are writing before sitting down. For some, they may just be in a dry period, attempting to force something out. Please be careful in the latter stage. If it's forced, it usually sounds that way on paper.

Fear of writing.

This has been my problem for years. I've been terrified of the time it takes for me to write. What scares me is the starting and stopping, sitting down to write and having to get up for this reason or that, and losing my inspiration in the process. I've been afraid of losing the story from one day to the next. I'm certainly not the only person with this fear. I've found a way to write around it, though, which I will discuss later.

As for being afraid of what you will write, I've experienced that before as well. It seems to me that many beginning writers experience this type of block. What if it's not good? What if it gets me in trouble with my friends and family? What if what I have to say is not a popular expression or opinion? In all honesty, who cares? Write. You cannot be a writer without doing it. You can't get anything written if you don't write. Just write. The rough draft, as I have told students, is supposed to be rough; that's why we call it a rough draft. It takes confidence to overcome this obstacle. Also, if you don't want to just write your way through it, there's a tool you can use (below).

A lack of planning.

Usually writers begin works with enthusiasm and an overwhleming flow of inspiration, but once that start-up energy is spent, many of us find ourselves stuck. We reach a point where we haven't thought things through very well yet, or we didn't plan this far. My suggestion is using an outline before writing. Oh no! An outline! Hey, before you run off, give me a chance. The outline in Karen Weisner's First Draft in 30 Days is flexible and very un-outline-like. By using Weisner's outline, you don't feel like you're writing an outline; and really, you're not. The 30 Days outline is basically a collection of sketches about characters, settings, and scenes from your work. It fosters inspiration and constant creative brainstorming. The outline doesn't require any piece of writing that's long enough to interrupt brainstorming. Instead, to use Weisner's analogy, it gives the writer a chance to really harness the muse

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