Well there you are stuck again without any thing to write about.  Maybe you missed my other post, Use Mind-Mapping and Analyzing to Help Overcome Writer’s Block, and yes I realize I’ve hit this subject twice in the last two days, but when I began writing about writer’s block I realized it had turned into at least two posts.

If you’ve tried mind mapping and had no luck with it to get yourself writing, I have another writing tip for you; Write about it!  About what you ask?  Write about writer’s block.

Here’s an example:

“Today is Friday, April 10, 2009.  It’s Good Friday and I have writer’s block.  I can’t think of anything to write.  I’ve mulled ideas over in my mind and I’ve tried to convey my message to paper but nothing happens.  So here I sit, once again, knowing I need to be writing but nothing happens.  Maybe I’m trying to hard.  Maybe it’s stress because I know I should write and when I can’t I feel guilty about it.  I should go read a good book because it usually sparks my creative side and makes me want to write.  Or maybe I should keep writing about writer’s block and try to figure out what’s holding me back.”

Can writing about writer’s block reveal anything to you?  Often times the thing that’s holding us back will emerge in these free-writing sessions about writer’s block.  In my case, I’ve discovered that sometimes guilt keeps me from writing or it hinders my creative side.

Worrying about getting something written can actually shut down your creative process and nothing will flow.  The times I can’t write is usually because I’ve taken on an assignment that I don’t like.  It feels like work and it’s no longer enjoyment.  In those times I remind myself why I write.  It’s not to please others, it’s to inform others, entertain them and because I enjoy it.  When those three reasons come together harmoniously, it’s a great feeling.

Maybe you have the same problem.  Maybe you’re suffering from writer’s block because you aren’t happy with the material you’re writing.  If that’s the case you need to remind yourself why you’re a writer and get back in touch with that side of yourself.

If you can’t decide why you have writer’s block, try writing about it.  Write a dialog with yourself, write out your feelings about it and see if what holds you back doesn’t reveal itself.

Write On!
Patti

In a recent post I mentioned writer’s block and writer’s overload.  “What Holds You Back From Writing.”

Today I want to cover ways to help you overcome writers block but I also want to raise the question of whether or not one can lead to the other (writers block and writers overload).

I referred to writer’s overload as having too many ideas to write about, which could translate to having so many ideas you can’t find time to write.  I also mentioned that “idea” overload can cause you to feel overwhelmed and not allow you to focus on one topic.  In a sense this can cause writer’s block.

So lets define writer’s block.  Writer’s block can be an inability to choose which points to cover for those writing non-fiction for the web or a magazine.  It can be an inability to move a scene or character forward in fiction writing, or it can mean lack of inspiration or creativity for poets and lyric writers.

Writing, in any form, is basically thinking.  So maybe it’s a “Thinking Problem”.  Thinking is basically analyzing.  To write about any subject, fiction or non-fiction, is to analyze it.  Lets think about how we can analyze our subject and break it down into smaller parts.

Some people call this clustering, some call it mind-mapping.

I’m going to use fiction in this example and mind-map a character.  We have a hero; our central character.  We need to give him a name, like John.  (I know, boring)

We have John and we need to define who he is.  Can you tell who he is just by his name?  Can you visualize John?  Probably not yet.

We need to get some basic information about John; his personality, his strengths, weaknesses and his background.

View Character Mind Map image in new window

If you look at the diagram (I’m not an artist) you can see I’ve placed John in the center rectangle and the things I want to define about him in circles, each with lines connecting them.

For John’s personality, I decided he would be charming, ruthless and rugged.  Now we can begin to visualize John.  Maybe he’s a business man who likes the outdoors?

I’ve defined his strength’s as athletic, intelligent, and cares for family.  His weaknesses also includes caring for his family.  I guess it’s a cliche’ in fiction that our hero’s strength and weakness is the same thing.

If we look into his background we see John was a spoiled, rich brat who got into trouble with the law.  Isn’t that how it goes with these spoiled, rich brats?  Of course John has grown into a charming, handsome businessman and when he meets the damsel in distress everything will change.  But that’s your story to write.  Mine is to help you get that pen to paper.

At this point, and with a larger sheet of paper we can analyze each of John’s traits even more.  We can decide what he did as a teenager to get in trouble, if his athletic ability included playing football, and so many other things we can analyze with just these few traits.

The point of mind mapping and analyzing is to start your brain thinking about where John is going.  We can define this by his background and seeing where he’s been and delving into his personality.

This process will work for non-fiction as well.  All you need is a basic idea and map it out from there.  It can be growing tomatoes or comparing computer software.

After you’ve gotten started on your mind map you may get stuck on what to tell your audience.  Simply tell them what you want to know.  Do you want to know the pro’s and con’s of computer software, price comparison, etc.?  Maybe you want to know what John is going to do next.  Maybe you’re worried about what you think the reader wants to hear instead of showing them what you want them to know.  Figure out what it is you want to know and give it to the reader.

A mind map is a better visual tool than using an outline.  Drawing squares, circles, stars, hearts (whatever shape you like) can also wake up the creative side of your brain and help get words onto paper, or computer screen.

For more help you can read my article at Blogging Tips,  Developing a Strategy for Writing: The Process

Check back soon for more tips on writer’s block, the writing process and other things I want to share with you.

Write On!
Patti