Writer's Block Is Simply Waning Interest?
I wanted to insert this sidebar in my how-to journey because all writers hit the proverbial 'wall' when it comes to writing--either professionally or for avocation.
First, a 'wall' is defined here (and in sports and so on) as going along until you find a seemingly unpassable place. When I ran the mile and 2-mile in high school (seems a hundred years ago), I hit my (running) wall on the third lap (on quarter-mile tracks) in a mile race and between the sixth and seventh on a 2-miler.
Coming to my postulation above: writer's block is a waning of interest (whever one puts the apostrophe) on the part of the writer. Now I know this can get me into trouble because many of the folks (used to be me) who write for a living do not want to face this fact.
Sure it may be a temporary lack of interest, or it may be a sign of something much more troublesome. I've been there. I remember a client that I was writing for back in the 1980s who loved my work, paid me well, but I couldn't stand facing my (in those days) typewriter when it came time to churn out something. I even forget what the subject was now--I think it was some aspect of hardware.
No, Writer's Block is Not a Sin
The point is that we will all face these blocks no matter how excited we are about our ministry. It faces even the best of our type. I've come up with a plan you might use. The next time you face your writing 'wall' try this or a variation of the theme...
1. Pray about it. I like one of the Life Principles of Dr. Charles Stanley that says, "Fight your battles on your knees and you'll win every time." (Of course, this has a prerequisite that you know God personally through Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as your Savior.) If one doesn't know Christ as personal Savior, this devolves into a metaphysical exercise.
2. Look for Bible passages in your subject or that are congruent with the current attitude of your heart. Psalms, Proverbs, John are all good starting points. If you have a Gideon Bible around (I thoroughly enjoyed my years as a Gideon), look in the index in the front to see if there is a subject or an attitude that matches your right now.
3. Write. Just start writing about whatever comes into your mind--all the machines have a delete key. It really doesn't have to be on topic or even make sense. I've had instances where I tried to force myself to write jokes (and I'm one of those who cannot remember a joke 10 minutes after I laughed my head off about it). I do not do jokes. Hence, I am forcing myself to write about a topic that isn't 'me' or is of no interest. And then all of a sudden I'm itching to get back to writing about my topic.
4. Take a physical break. Go for a walk or run. Depending on your deadline, go to the park and take your daily journal with you. Go to or watch a decent movie--one that uplifts--from your collection of DVDs.
5. Remember why you chose your passion ministry in the first place. Sit back and ponder how the Lord has used the ministry that you are writing about--in your church, in your community to its impact in the world. (If that doesn't get you excited all over again, you had better take your pulse--both physically and spiritually!)
I count this as a little diversion from our main course. Yet it is an important one. When we face a wall (and only a cursory reading of the Bible will tell you virtually every one of God's people faced 'walls' in their lives), is the best way to the proverbial other side to go through it, under it or around it? What is the Lord telling you?
###
No comments:
Post a Comment