Managing Writer's Block

The trouble with writer's block is that it can sometimes be very difficult to unblock. Some writers say there is no such thing as writer's block, but if you've ever had it, you know how real it is. Days, weeks, and sometimes longer periods of time will pass without an intelligent thought getting written down.

There are a lot of tips and tricks for preventing, or curing, writer's block. You can find them in writing magazines, such as Writers' Digest and The Writer, and also on several internet writing sites, such as Writing.com and Writingforums.com. Some suggestions are called prompts: a word, phrase, photograph, or situation to stimulate the creative juices.

I read an article in a writing magazine a few years ago that talked about "word weaving" as an exercise for writers. In this exercise, the article stated, you let the dictionary fall open at random. You then close your eyes, or look away, and let your fingers pick a word. Do this eleven times, then write a story or poem using ten of the eleven words.

I decided to take the challenge, knowing that there was a good chance of ending up with a lot of unrelated words. In my first attempt at this my word list was: intelligence, knock, convenient, free, lead, percolate, reedy, sheath, tang, camisole, and scruple. I shuddered at the sight of this list. What in the world would I do with such an olio of words?

Here is the result, and I claim no streak of brilliance for it. It is not meant to be poetry in the strict sense, just an attempt to get my imagination in gear again.

Write anything and everything

Is what the experts say.

So I let my mind run wild and free

And write something every day.

Sometimes it's not convenient

With so much going on,

But I try to knock some words around

Before I have to run.

A lead word or a sentence,

Even one I hate,

Is often all I really need

To start to percolate.

I like to have a thought

That maybe makes a bang.

A scruple or idea I have

And add a little tang.

So 'fore I sheath my pen

And give up for the day

I give intelligence a rest

And say what I have to say.

Word weaving is a task

That sometimes may be needy,

But tell me where in the world

I'll use a word like reedy?

Go ahead, give it a try. If nothing else, it will be a lot of fun.