Defeat the Wicked Witch of Writer’s Block
By Lydia Sharp | June 30, 2010 |
Please welcome Lydia Sharp, who was one of our FINALSTS in WU’s search for an unpubbed contributor. She wrote:
I wrote my first “book” in second grade (of my own initiative, not through the school curriculum); entered a state level short story contest in third grade; studied poetry, literature, and screenwriting in high school; and wrote several short stories all through my school years. Then Real Life got in the way, and I’m sure everyone is going to say that, too. It happens. The writing bug bit me again in early 2008. This was when I started viewing it as something I could do professionally, and set out to learn all that I could about the business and the craft. I’ve been continuing that self-education ever since, in addition to writing novel-length and short fiction.
Lydia’s post charmed us, as did her honest side note about how she’d had a hard time coming up with a topic to blog about for us.
A brief note about why I chose this topic. I was stressing out big time because I had an abundance of ideas and zero focus. I was blocked, and I know this is a common problem, so I wrote about what works for me. This article was the result.
Welcome, Lydia!
Defeat the Wicked Witch of Writer’s Block
Click your heels together three times and repeat after me: There is no such thing as writer’s block, there is no such thing as writer’s block, there is no such thing as–
Sorry, Glinda, it didn’t work. The page is still blank, and the cursor is mocking me in perfect rhythm.
You.
Suck.
You.
Suck.
You…
…are not alone.
All of us encounter obstacles that hinder our progress in some way. We call it writer’s block because we don’t know what else to call it. And for lack of a better phrase (because if we had any semblance of creativity within us at that point, there wouldn’t be a problem to begin with), we blame our absence of epiphanic brilliance on an abstract, um, something-or-other.
See. It hit me just now. You are my witnesses.
Writer’s block is an equal-opportunity destroyer of dreams. It does not care whether you’re writing your first novel or your tenth. Or if you write full-time or part-time. It doesn’t even care if you’re writing a novel, a short story, a poem, a query letter, a synopsis, or a blog post. It is one of the main reasons why some aspiring authors give up on writing altogether.
Don’t become a victim, Dorothy. You can melt the wicked witch of writer’s block with a few helpful tips from the Wizard.
Are you a scarecrow? All you need is a brain.
I’ll admit that I fall under the category of brainless far too often. There are times I must immerse myself in research, or pull out an old story and do line edits, in order to refresh. This is the result of a right brain/left brain imbalance. The scales are tipped, and equilibrium can only be achieved by adding to our noncreative side. Fact begets fiction.
Any tin men out there? Take care of your heart.
We often put too much pressure on our hearts to write a perfect first draft, forgetting that the beautiful story we crafted in a previous project was the result of months, or even years, of revisions. Or a deadline looms and we question our skills. In these instances, it seems like everything we write is worthy of only one thing: the delete key. Your heart needs relief from the pressure. Do something completely unrelated to writing. Go for a run, wash the dishes (yes, manually… it worked for Agatha Christie), play piano, etc., then return to your project recharged.
For the cowardly lions, a good dose of courage will keep you from shrinking back.
Fear is one of the biggest stumbling blocks, and fear of success can be as crippling as fear of failure. The best way I’ve found to get over any fear is to lean on the support of those who truly believe in you. Analyze your home team. Is the foundation weak in any areas? A strong beam will hold you up through both fair weather and storms, and uses solid reasoning to do so. This can bolster your motivation to finish a project, then see it through to the next step, and the next one, and the next one.
And if the Wizard promises you high-flying success, then takes off in the balloon without you, just remember who is wearing the ruby slippers. You have the power. Now click your heels together three times and repeat after me: There is no such thing as writer’s block.
Photo courtesy Flickr’s eyeliam
Lydia Sharp (@lydia_sharp) worked a number of different jobs, everything from retail management to veterinary medicine, before turning her passion for stories into a career. She is now an editor for Entangled Publishing and writes young adult novels with lots of kissing and adventures. Her debut YA novel, WHENEVER I’M WITH YOU, released from Scholastic Press in January, 2017. For info about her books and more, visit website and follow her on Twitter @lydia_sharp.
Fun article for the mid-week blahs. I definitely see myself in the tin man so I think I’ll hand wash some dishes today. Thanks for the tip!
And I have to say . . . where do people find the photos for their WU posts? They’re all so great!
Excellent article! I use excercise a lot to overcome my occassional creative flow issues. Always a great way to get the juices flowing again.
Thanks Lydia!
Nicely done, Lydia!
It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one who has to deal with the curse of the speaking cursor.
One trick that helps me get through the “What happens now?” moments is juggling.
Seriously, it forces me to concentrate and focus and has helped me through the block more than a few times.
Plus, my kids think it’s cool that Dad can juggle.
Good post, Lydia.
Thanks for the information!
Brilliant pairing of Writer’s Block and The Wizard of Oz. I think visualizing The Wicked Witch crying out, “I’m melting!” is the perfect image to defeat WB with gusto.
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse
Excellent and clever post, Lydia! And totally relatable. I’ve been the scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion all at once and too many times to count. :)
Fantastic post! And tres fun. I like the left brain/right brain notion, too. Solutions hit me at the oddest times, like when I’m descaling the shower door or running the vaccuum.
Long road trips are very fertile ground for me. If I’m by myself in the car I sometimes leave the music off entirely. I once did the whole 8 hours to visit my sister with nothing but road noise. When I got to her place I had to lock myself in the guest room for a full day and a half to hammer the results of the drive into my laptop.
Love love LOVE the Wizard of Oz analogies!! Well done, Lydia! Creative block my foot. :P
Lydia,what a refreshing and delightful post! I look forward to more from you.
Awesome stuff, Lydia.
I never would have thought of combining Wizard of Oz with Writer’s Block. But what you said made sense. I think I’ve been each of the three at some point or another.
Good post.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments! The Wizard of Oz can be applied to so many things in life, I knew it was bound to end up in my writing at some point. Glad you all can relate. :)
@Brad,
I am officially jealous of your mad juggling skillz. My dad tried to teach me when I was a kid, using apples and oranges, and let’s just say it got mighty sticky before we both decided I was better off as simply an observer.
@Laurel,
Long quiet drives are almost as good for sparking random creativity as long hot showers. :)
@WU,
Thanks for the awesome pic! Love it. And thanks for being such a great place for writers to find advice and support, no matter where they happen to be in their careers.
Excellent, inspiring post!
Lydia,
What a refreshing take on an age old problem for writers! Plus, anything with The Wizard of Oz in it is a go for me.
Great Post!
Christi
Lydia, I love the Wizard of Oz connections you made here! (Which also goes to show what an enduring impact that one story has had on all of us.) Really great suggestions you’ve given us.
I’ve written on this topic recently too, and I think blocks result from our brain being tired of producing “on demand”. It needs a break too, or it will refuse to cooperate — kind of like trying to get a two-year-old to eat one last bite of strained peas. LOL
Nurturing and pampering the brain’s creative portions are a necessity. It will reward us for it too.
Lydia, try bean bags. No mess, and you don’t have to chase them around when you drop ’em.
I actually taught myself to juggle when I was seventeen, during one very long night of exceptional boredom when everyone I knew was out of town.
It wasn’t til later that I learned how to apply it to help me write.
Great post, Lydia! Will I get beaten if I say I don’t get writer’s block? I think it’s because I always do those things you mentioned. When I get stuck, I know it’s just my brain telling me I need a break and a creative recharge. I walk away and before long the answer comes and I can get back to writing.
Fabulous post, Lydia!
I think I cycle through the characters you mentioned. I am just exciting a tin man stage and am staring straight into the the dark abyss of a cowardly lion phase. THanks for the tips and reminders!
Lydia, I love The Wizard of Oz analogy! Very creative. My evil internal editor is definitely the Wicked Witch, whispering, “You suck” into my ear way more often than I’d like. I like Angela’s idea of visualizing the WW crying out, “I’m melting!” I’ll have to try that the next time she shows up.
As for the times I just get stuck, I’ve found that the best way to come up with my next idea is, as you pointed out, to swear not to work on a project for the next hour or day. I go wash those dishes or take a shower or whatever, vow not to think about it, and sure enough, the ideas start to flow.
Well said! I’m a lion for sure, and word count is my fear. I often have to break things down into manageable bits, or I hit that “block” and am unable to move forward.
Holy shit. The is the greatest blog of all time. Ever.
Thanks for the tip to Oz.
Your mention of playing piano reminded me of what Brian Wilson would do when stuck composing. He’d play boogie-woogie nonsense and then suddenly get a flash and go back to his project. It’d jog him out of any ruts he was in.
And yeah, what Brad said of suspending the mind through juggling works, too. E-mail me if you’d like some tips on how you can teach yourself.
I’m the tin man to a T, which is why I really have to go now…
Great post, Lydia, and what a fabulous contemporary image to accompany it.
All of this spoke to me, including the taunting cursor, but this made me wonder if we were separated at birth: “I had an abundance of ideas and zero focus.” ;-)
@Janice,
No beatings (this time). ;)
@Maine Character,
I can’t remember who it was, but another author’s method of combating writer’s block was to simply type his name over and over and over again until he got so tired of it that he wrote something else… and that “something else” was usually a story. Hey, whatever works, right?
@Jan,
I’m beginning to believe there are many of us here who were separated at birth. Haha.
Thanks again, everyone!
To me, it always feels more like writer’s inertia, than writer’s block. I may just have to blog about that. :-) But all of your wonderful suggestions apply regardless of what you call it. Well done.
Great post, Lydia! Love the Wizard of Oz analogies!
I totally get the dish washing thing. Other times I get hit with clarity on a regular basis: while doing laundry, going on runs, or taking a shower. A benny? If I do all these things and still don’t get any insight, I’ll at least be cleaner and in better shape. ;)
What a fun way to structure a post on writer’s block. Great advice too. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to keep writing when the inspiration has temporarily flown. We have to trust that it will come back and maybe we need a break that’s longer than a walk.
It took me 3 years working nearly full time – thank God for a hubby willing to support me – to get my first novel, Lethal Inheritance, finished and during that time there were gaps when I had to leave it. When I came back and looked at it again, fresh things came naturally. If they didn’t, I put it away again. I guess you run the risk of never going back to it, but if that’s the case, then maybe it wasn’t worth going back to.
If you’re interested in the result, (it’s YA fantasy) you can read ch1 at https://publishersearch.wordpress.com/lethal-inheritance/
and on the home page is the ongoing story of where I’m up to in the process of getting published.
put up your dukes! yeah, i’m a cowardly lion!
Lydia, this was one of my very favorite essays when Kath and I read them over for the unpubbed writer position. Reading it again, it’s still one of my favorites. Bravo! And I’m glad you like the shoes. ;-)
Nice post! I love the theme, too! Can’t wait to see the next one.
That was a great article, Lydia. I’ve been all of those and the whole cursor thing is spot on. I think that’s why when I feel really stuck, I switch to paper. No blinky cursor swearing at me, and the act of hand writing my nonsense/stream of consciousness helps get my creative juices flowing. A sort of word doodling.
Lydia – Your sense of humor lightened my fears about having “writer’s block” -something I run into regularly. Following the yellow brick road to the computer should help keep me on track. By the way, there is an actual yellow brick road at The Land of Oz in Beech Mountain, NC.