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| http://writetribe.com/bloggers-block/ |
Writing for me seems to have taken
a back seat this past couple of weeks. A new project at work coupled with some
medical emergencies at home has eclipsed my entire life. Yes my blogging as well. Sadly, my reading hasn't been spared either. All those neglected books now seem to be
calling out to me but I just don’t have the time or the energy to pick them up once
I’m back home after work. It’s hard to explain how I miss spending my days
reading and writing. There is a constant nagging thought in my mind that I’m
doing something wrong by not writing and by ignoring my books. But
what can you do sometimes you just lose control!
I think for most bloggers and
writers out there writing, even if a few lines, is therapeutic and essential.
But when life takes over no matter how strong your desire to type a few words is, it
just doesn't happen. No matter how much you want to shut out the rest of the
world and jump right into the world of writing, other priorities hold you back.
And when you finally find the time all that stares back at you is an empty word document. The mind just stops working.
"writing, even if a few lines, is therapeutic..."
Laziness or fatigue or even writer’s/blogger's block, you choose what you want to call it. It’s a little bit of everything I think.It affects one and all. I guess it's a little bit like Measles that most children get at-least once in their life time. Strange analogy I know but humor me for a while. Every writer or blogger falls prey to a 'block' at-least once in his lifetime.
Anyways without further delay let’s
take a look at some probable solutions or ways of warding off these dry spells
in writing, shall we?
· This first tip is for all my blogger and writer friends
who work in the IT industry or perhaps anywhere else for that matter. Keep a
word document open at all times on your system while working. Type anything,
everything that comes to your mind whenever you get time. Trust me it helps. I
have written many a blog posts sitting in my office cubicle either waiting for
a meeting to start or for a job to complete. And when that thing called writer’s
block affects you, the office can actually give you a lot of ideas. A post
about the bad boss for example or perhaps those annoying colleagues who do no
work but get accolades all thanks to their sweet talking skills!
· Sometimes just forgiving yourself also helps.
Forgive for what you might ask. Well let me explain. Most of the times when I
can’t write or when I find no ideas I end up blaming myself for not paying
enough attention to my blog. I basically reprimand myself constantly, which
trust me isn’t helpful when you are short of ideas or when you just can’t
connect your thoughts with words. Giving yourself a break is the key in such
situations. So take a step back and give it a rest. Stop thinking about it 24
by 7 and trust me the clot will disappear in time. Writing has to come
naturally else it won’t come at all. It should be like a wild spring,
spontaneous. Hence it can’t be treated as something that starts at the press of
a button. So now do you see what I mean? Let it go.
· Read books but of course for this to work you would
need to love reading. Read the books that have been gathering dust in your
bookshelf. Reading takes you to a different world altogether and opens up
horizons. You not only get ideas but also feel good about doing something that
you love. I always believe that if we are stuck we should move on
to something else that we can do till we are ready to resolve the former.
Worked for me during exams and works for me at office too. So why not implement
this in writing?
· Being associated with groups like our very own
Write Tribe most certainly helps. I couldn’t have written a single word today
if it wasn't for this awesome prompt. So associate yourself with groups. Trust
me everyone faces the same problems as you and they can help you out. You can’t
talk about writer’s block with your family for even if they want to they won’t understand.
But a group of bloggers and writers most certainly will and hence there’s your
solution. Be a part of at least one writing group.
· Sometimes lethargy and work pressure rises to
such levels that it’s hard to get back on the writing bandwagon even after repeated
attempts. But don’t be disappointed there’s a way around everything. Start with
free writes, a few sentences each day. Don’t think too much just write! And trust
me at the end of it you’ll have the satisfaction of having written something
every day. What’s even better is that in this way, unnoticed, those knots will disappear
before you know it!
Now I feel a lot better for I’ve
written so many words. After repeated failed attempts at getting a start I’m
finally done with a blog post and I hope I can continue to do so. But yes
before you move from this post of mine I would surely love to hear your views
on ways to fight writer’s block. Go on I’m all ears, or eyes rather!