Writer's Block: together we can find a cure

I really hate writer's block. It's the bane of every writer. Everyone has experienced it it at one point in their life (or more). Whether it was a college paper, a short story for class, an article for a magazine, or the great American novel, writer's block affects the best of us. It seems to sneak up on you at the most inopportune times. Sometimes it lasts for a couple of hours, or a day. Sometimes it sticks around for days on end, completely wearing out its welcome.

So, how does one overcome writer's block? Ask any number of writers, and you'll get a different answer from each of them. Some start working on other projects waiting for it to clear. Some take a break from writing completely in order to regain focus. I heard about one author who took up cooking in order to get over writer's block. As for me, I'm of the ilk that will work on another project in the meantime, waiting for the inspiration to hit me again. There are a number of websites and applications to help writers overcome the debilitating mental condition, and I have found some help there, as well.

One thing that I used to do was switch on a television show, usually some sort of science fiction program. I soon realized that when I did this, I would come up with a number of ideas. But, when I got them down on paper, I realized that they were more often that not complete rip-offs of what I had just seen on TV! I stopped doing that.

For short periods of mental rest time, I will take on a good game of Solitaire or Bejeweled to give my brain a rest. This seems to get the juices flowing again, and gives me the strength to get through that one last paragraph.

While I was in the hospital, I found it difficult to concentrate on any one thing for a length of time, whether it was writing, video gaming, sudoku solving, etc. I never got the chance to get writer's block, because the minute I got a good rhythm going someone would be coming into the room to poke me, prod me, or give me a pill of some sort. So, when I experienced writer's block a few days ago, it seemed like a new feeling; I wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. I think I've gotten myself to a better mental place, and the writing can continue (mostly) uninterrupted.

This blog post was brought to you by the letter... uhhh... can't think of a letter right now, so I'll use 42.