W

For some, writers block is as real as yesterdays rejection slips. Others declare that it's only a state of mind. I tend to agree with the latter. But for those who take it seriously, it can become very real. All too real. That's when it begins to fester into a terminal illness. An illness that could actually destroy a writer if not quickly nipped-in-the-bud. Some writers wrestle with the concept of WB for days even months, putting off the gory job of finishing an agonizing bit of revision, or the dreaded, yet uninspired creation of detail their manuscript needs before the even more gruelling task of quering can begin. The illness only grows worse with time if not corrected quickly. The correcting process is just a matter of mind control at this point. The process becomes easier with practice and concentration. This can be done by reading about or listening to other writers who are dealing with the same disease. So, don't sat and wait for relief to come to you, start looking for an answer as soon as WB appears.

There are many things that contribute to writers block; Coffee, chocolate, noisy children, barking dogs, a trip to the mailbox, even a change in the weather. Any excuse will do. Because during a bout with WB we are looking for an excuse not to write. Anything that will keep us out of that chair. Because in a untangible way, it threatens those of us who like to (Dare I say it?) Procrastinate.

The funny thing is . . .The very things that keep us from writing can be the ones that inspire us to continue our writing if, we look out of the box. Determination. That's the key word here. Determination and state of mind. Take another look at the causes I listed above for causing WB. These things are with us each and every day. How we choose to look at them is our own personal decision. How we choose to use them is also up to each of us. But they can be our vantage points for grasping new ideas. Each of these causes can in reality furnish us with new Ideas and concepts to make our stories shine. Take coffee for instance, when I sip a hot cup of java, I close my eyes and envision imagine myself anywhere and in any situation. Chocolate can do the same thing. Listening to children is a special resource that a lot of writers don't have. Children can become, when truly being observed, a wealth of information at ones fingertips but not if the observer isn't interested in learning. Dogs, cats and other wildlife carry with them their own unique tales but it takes a willing mind to capture their stories. These are true stories that are always presenting themselves to the animal inthusiast. Many other ways of becoming inspired lay at our fingertips. A touch, a smell, the sounds of nature.