Writer's Block - Tag - In a past life…

Tugat haNefesh

J. Timothy King — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:42:04 +0000

This way-more-abstractly-metaphorical-than-I-usually-write story was inspired by one of the exercises in Holly Lisle’s “How to Beat Writer’s Block.” She calls him her “muse”; I call her my very life-breath.

My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word. (Psalm 119:28)

Flashlight in hand, I progress slowly down each step, toward the dungeon in which I keep my soul. Repeating drops of condensation drip, drip, drip and echo off the cold, dead walls. The scent of urine and defecation permeates the air, and intermingles with a poison must.

I loathe this place, which reeks of hell and depression.

I approach the cage. My keys rattle against the thick, steel slats, as I wrestle with the heavy padlock.

A Sure-Fire Cure for Writer's Block

J. Timothy King — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:00:18 +0000

I got this from a copywriting maven… Sorry, I don’t remember who. Maybe it was Dan Kennedy. Or the late Gary Halbert. It might have been Gary Bencivenga. Sorry, I don’t remember. I heard it in an interview, and I’ve actually tried it, and it actually works for some types of writer’s block.

This is a simple one-step procedure you can use to barrel through those times when you just can’t get started. You know your characters and their story. You know what comes next. Everything is all set. But you’re not in flow, and the words just won’t come out.

What to do? Very simple: Just sit down to your word processor (or your pad and pencil), and start typing the following: