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Craft of Writing

Barbara L. Cairns

"B" is for "Block"

They're easy to spot. Their eyes are glazed over. They're staring off into space. Their bodies are almost statuesque. Who are they, you ask? Why, writers of course, with that dreaded writer's affliction, Writer's Block. You can almost see their minds mulling over ideas as they strain to grasp some unknown, unthought-up concept that can be woven into a story.

If you have never stared into the horizon for long periods of time, never been in a daze while life is going on around you, or never felt the uneven flow of creativity struggling to come forward in your brain, perhaps you're not a writer after all. Or just maybe, you're one of those lucky ones, someone who is so prolific and successful that this article holds no meaning for you at all.

As for me, I'm one of the afflicted at times. But luckily, I own or subscribe to many helpful books and magazines that offer me solutions. Some of them provide advice with the B.L.O.C.K. itself.

"B" is for "Begin with I remember." It helps to jog the mind with past memories.

"L" is for "Letter writing." Send out letters to folks who haven't heard from you for awhile, especially to those who don't know you're a dedicated writer who is just having a bad day.

"O" is for "Originality." This is the key to being true to yourself. Spend time reading the works of others, either to inspire you or to realize you can write better than what you've just read. Be original!

"C" is for "Control your fate." Forget the rule that you have to write every single day. Check out markets instead. Work on something completely different than your norm. Take charge of yourself and your day!

"K" is for "Keep nurturing the artist inside you." When ideas are struggling to be born, trust in yourself. And don't forget to reward yourself for your efforts. (Chocolate ice cream does it for me.)

Surviving as a writer during the "down days" can be as easy as A B C. Always Be Confident! Tomorrow is another day. Take today off and don't feel guilty. (What other profession or blue collar job do you know where the worker never gets a day off?)

Despite all the books that tell us we must write every day to call ourselves writers, there is really no "one size fits all" schedule for writers. We must each find our muse, wherever she may be, and when she's through playing hide and seek, we can say "Gotcha!" and begin our writing day again with confidence.

Rather than dwelling on rejections and negative thoughts when the muse is hiding, realize that it's just another cycle in life, kind of like the weather. Just as there are droughts in the weather, so too there are dry spells in our creative lives. But then comes the magic, that rain of thoughts and ideas, flooding our creative plains, washing out a word, a suggestion, a scene, and a character which, when put together, forecasts success in a new manuscript.

We see the glazed look again, only this time, it's the muse, blocking out all interruptions. As she focuses us to write our masterpiece, the muse is clever enough to know, that even BLOCKS can be helpful if we approach them the right way.


About the Author
Originally from Connecticut, Barbara L. Cairns has lived in Seattle, Washington, Labrador, Germany, and Panama. As a retired elementary school principal, she now lives in Florida where she continues to write stories, articles and books. Barbara's most recent contract is with McGraw-Hill for a language book due for release in February, 2005.