Suffering

I am once again, suffering from Writer’s block.

However, this is a problem that I think a lot of us suffer from but don’t generally address as typical ‘writer’s block’.

Let me explain.

I’ve recently started to work on completing the sequel to my first book.

Working on that gave me an idea for another series.

Writing down that idea gave me another idea.

Then my Wife shared an article with me about Westerns, and how they’re making a comeback. I’ve always wanted to write a Western.

Any ideas I’ve had for my sequel have been squelched by the mass of ideas for other books that have popped up.

I think there are, at least, two different types of writer’s block. The block where our creativity is blocked by our stagnation, and the block caused by too many ideas trying to push through the gate at once.

Pushing ourselves out of a stagnant state is relatively easy in comparison to getting the flow of ideas under control.

You grow stagnant, all you have to do is get up and get out. Do anything but write for a little while. Vacuum, change the temperature, open some windows, be active. Soon you’ll have ideas start to grow in your head.

The other problem is a little trickier. You vacuum, you get an idea. Change the temperature, idea. Open windows? IDEA! Be active? IDEA! IDEA! IDEA!

Curing stagnation is like trying to get barren soil fertile again. It’s patient and hard work.

Getting your imagination to cool down so you can concentrate on one idea, is like trying to get rid of crab grass, dandelions, or bull’s head stickers. There’s no easy way to do it.

Getting the flow of story ideas unstuck is tricky. Getting the ideas in order, outlining them and actually writing about them would go a long way towards getting our creative process unblocked.

All this coming from a guy who’s having problems with step one…

Well, I’ll give my own advice a shot and let you know how it goes.