Take a break - and find inspiration

One of the best pieces of advice on writing I've received - from none other than our wonderful Life Writing presenter Patti Miller, author of many books - was to take myself away from my usual daily existence, to give myself a chance to reflect ... and then write.

If you spend as much time at the computer as I do, particularly as I'm often meeting deadlines filing feature stories for newspapers and magazines, the thought of being away from my computer and desk - the things I usually associate with productivity - is pretty scary.

I thought if I can't produce the right words here - where they are usually produced - then I wouldn't be able to produce them at all.

Anyhow, Patti gave me a knowing look as if to say: "Trust me, it will do you the world of good."

So I packed myself off for a week in Byron. And she was right. Not only did it do me the world of good, the words just flowed like I had never experienced before. At the time, I was writing a memoir-style book.

I'd sit at the beach and write, sit in cafes, park benches, in my friend's apartment - it was a wonderfully productive - and cathartic - experience.

If you're writing a long piece - especially if it's fiction or memoir - and find that the words haven't been flowing for a while, consider taking a break. Even a week can do you wonders.

It wasn't the beach or the cafes that did it. It was because I was away from my usual routine of paying bills, answering phone calls, queuing at the bank. I really did have a chance to reflect - which is what did the trick.

Remember: this is ideal for longer works of writing. If you're stuck on a short piece like a feature article, no this technique does not apply! Feature articles are a different beast. And if you think that a trip to Byron will be the only thing to "unblock" your feature article, then you are kidding yourself! This is just procastination.

Anyhow, would love to hear your thoughts on what you do to help you get "unstuck" or to overcome writer's block.

Comments

[Lara]

I get over writer's block - and then it comes right back again!