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Summary: Writing blocks are usually related to some form of anxiety, or to a lack of information. Here's how to conquer them.
Category: Writing
Words: 800
Blast Your Writing Blocks
Copyright © 2003 by Angela Booth
How many words do you write a day? Some novelists manage 2,000 words a day or even more, but most writers feel they've done a good job if they can turn out 500 to 1,000 words.
If you're writing zero words a day, you're blocked. Writers get blocked because they're anxious, or because they don’t have enough information.
=> Dealing with anxiety
Anxiety can show up in various forms, either physical, mental, or emotional. You may feel tired, or have a head-ache. You may decide that you're bored with what you're writing, or so depressed you can't think. Or maybe you convince yourself that you're just too busy (the lawn needs mowing, and you should spend time with kids). You'll do your writing tomorrow.
The anxiety block is hard to manage because you often don’t realize that it is a block. You have terrific reasons for not writing. No one would expect you to write with a migraine, would they? And you really do need to mow lawn.
The only way I've found to manage this block is to be tough on myself. I set myself a daily word target, usually 1,000. I may not reach that target, but before I go to bed, I MUST write 500 words. Every day.
Paradoxically, I've found that even when I'm not in mood to write, or when I have a headache that would fell an ox, I feel better when I've written my 500 words. I often go on to write full 1,000.
The most pernicious anxiety block occurs when you're convinced your writing is worthless. This block may happen as a result of chaos in some other area of your life: perhaps with relationships, or illness, or finances.
Handling this block takes careful management. First, try to see that it's a block, which has happened because of stress you're under. Your writing is fine --- you've just lost perspective. If you can convince yourself of this, it's a major achievement.