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mary rosenblum
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Hi, all!
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mary rosenblum
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I hope you had a great
Thanksgiving. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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And have stored all those
family interactions in your 'future characters' locker for use in some
future story...
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mary rosenblum
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well disguised!
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor. Tonight we're talking about
writers block. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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mary rosenblum
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I wanted to bring up the
subject of writers block again at this Forum...
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mary rosenblum
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because we haven't talked
about it for some time...and it's a reality even for well established pros.
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mary rosenblum
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And it's something that I
think is less debilitating if you simply see it as something everyone goes
through from time to time...
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mary rosenblum
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and it doesn't kill you. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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It may even...in the long
run...benefit you.
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luv2write
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Mary, I work a full time job and
lots of family things in the evening. How do I get my mind focused on
writing when I get home.
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mary rosenblum
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That can be hard,
luv...shifting gears from 'job' or 'mom' into 'writer' can take so long...
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mary rosenblum
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that you don't have any
writing time left! I was a single mom with two young sons...
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mary rosenblum
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and I know that time crunch
all too well.
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mary rosenblum
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And really HAD to be able to
turn into writer instantly when I had fifteen minutes free..
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mary rosenblum
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What I can tell you is that
you can learn to do it and as with any skill...
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mary rosenblum
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it gets better with practice.
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mary rosenblum
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At first, a particular place
may help you.
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mary rosenblum
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Whether it's your computer, or
a chair and a pad of paper.
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luv2write
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The ideas are there, but I'm
usually too tired to put them to paper.
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah, tired is a reality. You
know what? You do it anyway.
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mary rosenblum
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Because very few starting
writers have the luxury of not working full time...OR...
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mary rosenblum
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working and raising a
family..and you're always going to be tired when you have five minutes to
write.
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mary rosenblum
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When my sons were very small,
I wrote mostly after they were in bed. Talk about tired!
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mary rosenblum
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I would give myself a time
every night...might be two hours if I wasn't too tired, might be a half
hour if I was exhausted...
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mary rosenblum
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and when that time was up I
could quit. And because I had that 'end point' ahead of me...
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mary rosenblum
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I could keep myself on task,
even though I was really tired.
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mary rosenblum
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You know what I found, too?
THat even when I was really tired and the words felt dull and uninspired...
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mary rosenblum
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they really weren't.
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mary rosenblum
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I FELT that way, but later on,
when I read them after, they were fine.
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luv2write
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How do you get your family to
understand that you need some time alone?
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mary rosenblum
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You simply have to state it as
a matter of life, luv.
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mary rosenblum
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It's the same as a day job
outside.
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mary rosenblum
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This is my time, and I need
this hour. And when I'm done, we'll do...whatever...
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mary rosenblum
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but you need to give me this,
first.
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mary rosenblum
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And you just don't argue about
it.
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luv2write
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Thanks Mary, you've given me
hope.
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mary rosenblum
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It's hard, but you know,
because I simply said 'I'm a writer and this is my writing time and let's
see how we can make things work...'
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mary rosenblum
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my sons were always part of
the process and it was never something they resented.
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mary rosenblum
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Just present it as a
given...'I'm doing this...and work out compromises...you be quiet and read
for an hour and we'll go play in the park...
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mary rosenblum
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that sort of thing.
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eddie
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Is it more difficult to be stuck
in your mind or on paper?
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mary rosenblum
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I'm not quite sure what you
mean, Eddie, by in your mind or on paper? Want to explain a bit? Try using
/ask in front of your question in the regular send bar and it won't cut you
off.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor. Tonight we're talking about
writers block. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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sailor
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You're right about writing when
you're tired, Mary. In my corporate life, I was sent to a workshop where
they deliberately put you under stress off site in uncomfortable
surroundings. The idea was you say what you really think and feel when the
defenses are down. In writing, it could be a way to get out the emotion.
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, it can be, and you can
always polish the rough edges when you revise. But I did find that as I
worked on novels, when I did the revision later, I couldn't tell which
sections I wrote when I was really really tired...
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mary rosenblum
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and which sections I wrote
when I was 'fresh'.
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mary rosenblum
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After that, I stopped worrying
about it so much. I still will work until the wee hours in the morning when
I have things I need to do next day...
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mary rosenblum
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and I want to get a section
done.
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luv2write
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What do you do if you know the
characters, the basic plot and the ending. But you're having trouble
connecting the dots.
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mary rosenblum
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Just write it. If you have to,
make a note...{somehow everybody gets to the Silurian castle] and then go
on from there...
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mary rosenblum
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Leave those blank spots and by
the time you're done, you may have come up with the inspiration to fill
it...or you may later.
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mary rosenblum
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But as long as you have the
general shape of a story in your head...get it down and save it!
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mary rosenblum
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Fix it later.
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mary rosenblum
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You can hang on to that story,
waiting until it's perfect, until it goes flat and stale in your head and
then it won't work for you.
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mary rosenblum
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The biggest reason for writers
block that I see is that we expect too much from ourselves.
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mary rosenblum
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It has to be perfect. It has
to be the next Pulitzer winner. It has to be a blockbuster best seller...
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mary rosenblum
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and since we can't guarantee
it, the doubt vultures land on our shoulders and start hissing in our
ears...
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mary rosenblum
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and pretty soon the words seem
to just dry up.
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mary rosenblum
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Give yourself permission to
write something that will NEVER sell.
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mary rosenblum
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It's okay!
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mary rosenblum
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It's practice.
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mary rosenblum
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It'll make you better.
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mary rosenblum
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And then...who cares how good
it is, nobody will EVER see it!
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mary rosenblum
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That can be very freeing and
you know what? You'll usually come back a bit later and discover this bit
of practice is MUCH better than you thought.
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speckledorf
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I don't expect too much...just
perfection:-)
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mary rosenblum
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I know that's said
facetiously, speck, but be careful. That is a very sharp double edged
sword...
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mary rosenblum
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and it has cut off the career
of several writers I know.
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chatty lady
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In a recent computer crash, all
my manuscripts were lost.
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chatty lady
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haven't written since, can't
think...
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mary rosenblum
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Wow, that sure would floor me,
chatty. That's why I back stuff up on everything at hand and am SO glad
when a novel ms is out with my agent...in case the house burns!
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mary rosenblum
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BUT...what you need to
realize...and BOY it's hard to really internalize...
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mary rosenblum
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is that you will use the
strong parts of what was lost to do better stories. The recreation of a
lost ms is always going to be better.
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mary rosenblum
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We mourn the one we lost...oh
yes, I've lost stuff, in spite of my good saving habits...
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mary rosenblum
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but when all is said and done,
you'll do it again better.
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joanc
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Galatyne once told me, not so
long ago, that "writer's block isn't really writer's block; it's
creativity that's trying to go one direction when we want to make it go
another."
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mary rosenblum
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I think that's certainly a
kind of writers block. It's like cancer...there are many kinds...
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mary rosenblum
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But often writers will decide
they MUST finish this piece before they move on...and they'd be better off
to put it aside and do something else.
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mary rosenblum
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That's why I usually have
three to five projects in progress at any given time. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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And sometimes, you simply need
to forbid yourself to write.
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mary rosenblum
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OK, the well is dry. I will
NOT write for one month and let it recharge. Nothing. Zip.
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mary rosenblum
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I've never lasted past about
five days, myself...
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dbamarsha
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What if it's an assignment that
you can't put aside?
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mary rosenblum
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I would ask your instructor
for advice, marsha. Or another writer. And I know your instructor would be
glad to offer some suggestions, LOL.
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mary rosenblum
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If I'm really stuck, I might
run the story past a writers group or a couple of writer friends...
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mary rosenblum
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and they'll suggest what I
need in order to fix or end the story and most of the time...]
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mary rosenblum
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I'll end up saying, "no,
no, that won't work but...' and I'll suddenly realize what I need to do.
:-)
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mary rosenblum
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Often, other peoples' reaction
to what you have and their guesses about where you need to go will unstick
that story.
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mary rosenblum
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That's the main reason I
belong to writers groups...a place to take story problems.
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luv2write
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When I can't get my pen to
paper, I pick up a good book and get inspiration from other writers.
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mary rosenblum
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That works, too, luv. Keep a
note pad with you when you do that. :-) It's how I find inspiration for new
story if I don't have an idea...
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor. Tonight we're talking about
writers block. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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lil-duv
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How do you avoid making too many
changes when you, "go back to fix it"?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, depends on what you
mean, lil. Changes are generally good, but there does come a time when you
need to stop fixing and send the ms off...
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mary rosenblum
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and sometimes that is another
thing writers groups are good at.
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mary rosenblum
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Sometimes you have to realize
that tweaking four words in the entire story probably means you should send
it off!
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mary rosenblum
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It can be tempting to fix
forever. Another form of writers block.
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mary rosenblum
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If you don't send it off...you
don't get rejected. Hmmmm....
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mary rosenblum
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Could there be a connection
here?
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lil-duv
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How do you which to fix
character or plot?
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mary rosenblum
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That entirely depends on what
the story does and what I think is wrong with the story, lil.
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mary rosenblum
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That's often the sort of thing
a writers group or a good reader will tell you.
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eddie
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How long did it take for you to
trust your work?
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mary rosenblum
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That's a very good question,
Eddie.
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mary rosenblum
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We can't trust our work when
we first start out, because we don't KNOW that it works for anyone but
ourselves.
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mary rosenblum
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For me, I think it has been a
slow process since I began publishing. The more fans I meet, the more I
find that I am doing what I think I'm doing...
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mary rosenblum
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and the more I can trust in
what I'm trying to do. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Again, a good writers group
can help you get a sense of whether your story is working for others...
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mary rosenblum
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but probably, feedback from
fans will help you the most.
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luv2write
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What if the road to the ending
starts to blur and mix, until you can't tell which direction you want to
go?
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mary rosenblum
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At that point, I take a break
and usually go work on another project, luv.
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mary rosenblum
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If I ignore the story for
awhile and focus on another story, it will usually sort itself out...
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mary rosenblum
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and sooner or later I'll
realize that I know exactly where to do.
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mary rosenblum
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Don't feel you need to finish
THIS piece before you do the next!
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mary rosenblum
|
This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor. Tonight we're talking about
writers block. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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mary rosenblum
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Of course, if you are NEVER
finishing anything and always moving on...this is a problem!
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mary rosenblum
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But if you feel you're losing
momentum and the picture is getting fuzzy...go work on something else for
awhile.
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mary rosenblum
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Wait until that story nags at
you...drags you bodily back to it!
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cloux
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MaryI have a story have have
been trying to write for about 4 years now....
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mary rosenblum
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Cloux have you tried to figure
out what it is that is keeping you from writing it?
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luv2write
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So, put aside like you your
first draft and pick it up later with a fresh eye?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh I drop it in mid paragraph,
luv.
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mary rosenblum
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If the story doesn't want to
play, I go play with one that does!
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mary rosenblum
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I have one right now that
I"m...lessee...about 9 or 10 pages into...and it just needs...I don't
know...something.
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mary rosenblum
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So I dropped it smack in the
middle of a scene and I"m working on two other projects right now...
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mary rosenblum
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and when that 'something'
occurs to me, I'll go pick it up again.
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luv2write
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Never thought of it like that.
Thanks Mary!
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mary rosenblum
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me, I think of my stories as
kids or dogs. You don't want to play? Fine. I'll go find someone who DOES.
Talk to you later!
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mary rosenblum
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Later on, the story nags me to
come back. And then I do. :-)
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joanc
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Is there any on-line writing
groups that you could suggest?
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mary rosenblum
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YOu can form one, joan. There
are several that use the private room feature in the chat site.
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joanc
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Mary, I'm stuck on a story
now.....I heard that when writing a mystery where a murder takes place a
child should never be the first victim because you will lose your readers.
However my story is based on a little boy and his dog, where the little boy
is shot accidently and then the shooter tries to cover it up. Can this
work?
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mary rosenblum
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Joan, I will say again and
again and again...there are VERY few 'nevers' or 'always' in writing.
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mary rosenblum
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Of course you can kill the kid
on page one!
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mary rosenblum
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It's MUCH better to kill the
kid on page one when he's a stranger than to kill him later when we love
him, believe me!
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mary rosenblum
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And then your readers are
thirsting for vengeance and read on to find out that the murderer gets his.
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mary rosenblum
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You might lose a few who won't
read anything where a kid is hurt, period, but you cannot please every
single reader out there.
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mary rosenblum
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But it is a strong scene.
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mary rosenblum
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Of courrse, you'll be
publishing this in the police procedural or amateur detective sub genres...
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mary rosenblum
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and readers tend to be a bit
more innured to blood/gore/nastiness than in, say, the cozy subgenre.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor. Tonight we're talking about
writers block. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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luv2write
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And if two stories want to play
together, that's okay too?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, I don't know about that,
luv. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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It is true, however, that a
lot of my stories grow new stories from interesting secondary characters...
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mary rosenblum
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I just write them as separate
stories.
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mary rosenblum
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Remember that being stuck on
THIS story is not writers block.
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mary rosenblum
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It is being stuck on THIS
story.
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mary rosenblum
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Writers block is when no words
want to come...when you feel as if you'll never write a decent word again.
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mary rosenblum
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That's the one that guts
writers.
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cloux
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Mary, I've been working on a
story for a while now...
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cloux
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It requires lots of research....
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cloux
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Everytime I sit down to write
plot, I just go...
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cloux
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round and round and I get all
caught up and confused....
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cloux
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I know this is a form of writers
block...
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mary rosenblum
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Well, maybe, cloux. Or maybe
you're just not ready to start writing yet...
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cloux
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How do I get past it. Been
working on story for 4 yrs now
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cloux
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Should I just give up?
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mary rosenblum
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Of course don't give up.
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mary rosenblum
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But sit down with yourself and
a cup of tea and start asking your self...that inner very quiet self...some
questions.
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mary rosenblum
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Why can't you start?
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mary rosenblum
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See what you have to say about
that.
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mary rosenblum
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It could be that you have
thought out a story that you really know inside won't work...
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mary rosenblum
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and what you need to do is
write a DIFFERENT story.
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mary rosenblum
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Or it could be that it's
something else hiding in the shadows back there...
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mary rosenblum
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that if you stop researching
and actually start writing, you'll finish, and then you'll have to submit
it...
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mary rosenblum
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and what if nobody buys it?
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mary rosenblum
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Believe me, that chain of
thought is behind a lot of blocked writers.
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mary rosenblum
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And sometimes, if you can look
that fear in the face and ask out loud..
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mary rosenblum
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well, so what if nobody buys
it?
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mary rosenblum
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And look THAT answer in the
face.
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mary rosenblum
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You'll get past it.
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cloux
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I have NP writing anytthing
else--lol. Just that one...
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mary rosenblum
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Then I'm guessing that your
'hind brain' knows there's a problem. And I'd give yourself permission to
write a different story.
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mary rosenblum
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I researched a story many
years ago...did a LOT of research on it...
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mary rosenblum
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and had very much the same
sort of stoppage...could NOT start that darn story...
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mary rosenblum
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and finally realized that I
just didn't want to do it, that it wasn't as strong as I'd thought...
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mary rosenblum
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but it was hard to admit after
all the time I'd spent!
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mary rosenblum
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I dropped it. Never came back
to it.
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mary rosenblum
|
This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor. Tonight we're talking about
writers block. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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|
luv2write
|
How do you get over something
like writers block?
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luv2write
|
How do you break through the fog
of self dought?
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mary rosenblum
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These two go hand in hand.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, luv, you NEVER get over
the self doubt.
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mary rosenblum
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I know people who are
considered the top in their field and they STILL doubt.
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mary rosenblum
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You just do it anyway...
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mary rosenblum
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It's sort of like closing your
eyes and jumping off that cliff, assuming you'll land on your feet more or
less...
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mary rosenblum
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and you do it again and again
and again.
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luv2write
|
So, how can you make self doubt
work in your favor?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, I'm not sure self doubt
ever works in your favor...
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mary rosenblum
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but you can make it less
powerful by saying 'oh, there's my self doubt again...I guess I'll let the
editors and readers decide''...
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mary rosenblum
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and just recognizing it for
what it is. It's like an annoying itch...
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mary rosenblum
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life would be SO much nicer
without it, but you learn not to scratch yourself bloody.
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luv2write
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Push it off your shoulder and
let it fly on it's own.
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah...exactly.
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mary rosenblum
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Oops, one of those darn
shoulder vultures again...WHAP! Beat it, buster.
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mary rosenblum
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I get those moments but I'm
pretty good at catching 'em and whapping 'em before they get their claws in
too deep. :-)
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luv2write
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That visual is GREAT!
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mary rosenblum
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Keep in in mind, next time
you're feeling down! LOL
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mary rosenblum
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And actually, I only know one
way to get past writers block.
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mary rosenblum
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Write.
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mary rosenblum
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Even if you hate it. Even if
it's gibberish.
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mary rosenblum
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If nothing else, set the timer
for ten minutes and start writing words..
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mary rosenblum
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any words. Doesn't matter.
Tell yourself you don't even have to read 'em...
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mary rosenblum
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you just have to do it. Like
drinking cod liver oil...
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mary rosenblum
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good for you, but taste? Whew.
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mary rosenblum
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Do exercises. Describe a room
in detail.
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mary rosenblum
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Do a sex scene. Write
something you will delete and never show ANYBODY>
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mary rosenblum
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There is no way any of this is
a story, or publishable, but you know, they'll improve you as a
writer...you're doing scales.
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luv2write
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Maybe one word will trigger a
story.
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mary rosenblum
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Oh it can..exactly.
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mary rosenblum
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That's usually what eventually
happens.
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mary rosenblum
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Some sentence suggests a story
or a character or a title...
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mary rosenblum
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and you're off.
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mary rosenblum
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Until then..play scales.
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forest elf
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When I need a creativity
recharge ...
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forest elf
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a visit to our chat group really
helps!
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mary rosenblum
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Hanging out with other writers
always energizes me, elf. That's one of the benefits of writers
conferences.
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luv2write
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Practice, practice, practice!
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mary rosenblum
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And...heheh...if you KNOW it's
just practice, then you don't have to worry about whether it's a Pulitzer
winner or perfect or gonig to sell if you send it out.
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mary rosenblum
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Those are all good things NOT
to think about when you write, by the way.
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forest elf
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There are some great creative
minds in our group!
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mary rosenblum
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There you go!
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mary rosenblum
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Write something for fun...
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mary rosenblum
|
a fight scene, and action
scene, a love scene...
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mary rosenblum
|
something that has nothing to
do with anything you're working on...
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mary rosenblum
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Just enjoy yourself.
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mary rosenblum
|
Then delete it. That's fine.
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luv2write
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Give yourself permission to have
a little fun in between the work.
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mary rosenblum
|
Exactly.
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mary rosenblum
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All too often, we let these
articles or stories turn into horrible, huge obligations.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, yes, if you have a
deadline and a contract you DO have to finish this on time.
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mary rosenblum
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But if you do not, then walk
away. Do something else. Will the earth stop turning if you never touch
this again?
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mary rosenblum
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Do something else!
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mary rosenblum
|
You will also come back to the
huge, horrible obligation with fresh eyes, and may well find it's much
better than you thought...
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mary rosenblum
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and you can now see just how
to finish it.
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luv2write
|
Taking a walk always lets my
mind rest enough to start thinking of stories again.
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mary rosenblum
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I actually have found that
physical activity seems to compliment creativity nicely.
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mary rosenblum
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That's partly why I have the
acreage I do.
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mary rosenblum
|
An hour or two spent outdoors
doing something physical will nearly always unleash a torrent of words when
I sit down at the computer again.
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luv2write
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Or, go out into the garden and
pull those darn weeds and pretend it's a doubt vulture.
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mary rosenblum
|
There you go. Or take a walk
in the local park or on the bike path...go ride your bike, play tennis...do
something that makes you feel good physically.
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mary rosenblum
|
I suspect there really is a
physiological/neurological connection.
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geezer
|
What dire things happen if you
don't make a deadline?
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mary rosenblum
|
Depends on your publisher,
geezer. You don't go to jail and you won't have to pay back your advance on
a novel...
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mary rosenblum
|
but you WILL get published.
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mary rosenblum
|
A friend of mine recently had
to turn in her book late...didn't make the deadline...
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mary rosenblum
|
and ended up getting bumped a
year back on the schedule...
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mary rosenblum
|
which is going to hurt her
sales. People want book three of the series to come out right after two.
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mary rosenblum
|
It is NOT a good thing to do.
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mary rosenblum
|
When you take a publisher's
money and promise a deliervery date, a lot of machinery goes into motion...
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mary rosenblum
|
and it's a lot of work to
change it...
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mary rosenblum
|
They will NOT be happy with
you.
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joanc
|
Be aware of everything around
you and constantly ask yourself "what if", make up little stories
as you go
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mary rosenblum
|
Yep that's a great way to go,
joan.
|
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mary rosenblum
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Make notes to yourself when
Ideas occur, even if they're half baked.
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mary rosenblum
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And stick those notes into a
box.
|
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mary rosenblum
|
Dump 'em out and read through
when you need some inspiration.
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luv2write
|
For new writers, do all
publishers require a deadline date?
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mary rosenblum
|
Depends, luv.
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mary rosenblum
|
For short fiction, most
publishers buy the story right then...
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mary rosenblum
|
and for new writers, you are
turning in a complete novel, not a proposal.
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mary rosenblum
|
But in NF you are writing on
an accepted query most of the time and yes, you have a deadline.
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mary rosenblum
|
When you've sold a couple of
novels, you can sell a proposal and then will have six, or nine or twelve
months to write the novel...
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mary rosenblum
|
your agent negotiates that.
Mine always gets me nine months.
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joanc
|
clippings out of newspapers, write
about what you heard on the news, listen to what your kids are saying
before long your box will be full of ideas
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mary rosenblum
|
Throw in pictures, too, joan.
:-) Mine is called the 'dump box'. I dump it out when I need a new idea.
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luv2write
|
If you're new at the novel deal,
how do you and them know how fast you'll get the book written.
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mary rosenblum
|
Don't worry...that's why they
won't take a proposal from an unpublished writer...you don't know!
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mary rosenblum
|
Once you've published a
couple, you'll know how long it takes you to write a novel.
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mary rosenblum
|
Then you can ask for the
deadline you can work with.
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speckledorf
|
Forums are good places for ideas
too. I'm pondering a "deadline mob"..they come in at night when
you miss your deadline and cut your fingers off:-)
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mary rosenblum
|
I'm laughing...I know a few
writers who would be using Dragon Speak right now! LOL
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mary rosenblum
|
And if you're Rowling or King
you can be as late as you want...
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mary rosenblum
|
but it DID cost Guterson when
he was late with the book after Snow Falling on Cedars.
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geezer
|
So, it's best to have the second
manuscript finished as well
|
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mary rosenblum
|
well, depends on how fast you
can write, geezer. I can comfortably do a novel in six months..
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mary rosenblum
|
so my agent gets me nine so
that I'm not pushed.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I often write the book first,
because I feel it's easier to hook an editor with a book rather a
synopsis...
|
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mary rosenblum
|
but I'll do proposals, too.
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joanc
|
What's the chances of getting a
big time writer in on one of our forums.....such as King?
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mary rosenblum
|
King? Only if I knew him
personally, joan.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
My next guest Tamora Pierce is
one of the top YA writers. She's a big name there.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
The main thing with writers
block is..it does not last forever...
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|
mary rosenblum
|
and it is not a virus.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
It comes from inside you, and
a little looking inward will help you more often than not.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Give yourself permission to
NOT...be perfect, write a Pulitzer winner,sell the book for 100,000
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|
mary rosenblum
|
Give yourself permission to
walk away...but not from EVERY story.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Give yourself permission to
play...write something you want to write and will never sell.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
But mainly write. Even if it
hurts. Even if it sucks. Even if you hate it.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
Just do it.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can delete it instantly.
Just put those words down. Set a timer.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
When the timer goes
off...you're done. Get up. Walk away. Go do something else.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Don't worry. Abilty never goes
away.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You'll get through it, and the
words will still be there waiting.
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|
forest elf
|
a little off the subject ... who
is her publisher? Pierce?
|
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mary rosenblum
|
Oh, gosh, forest...I'm sure
she has many. She is VERY prolific and has dozens of books out there!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
You can visit her website.
There's a link on the calendar page.
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
She's visiting us in between
book tours. I don't know how that woman writes so many books! She's always
on tour, seems like.
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|
info
|
it sounds kind of like this
national novel writing month thing, do something that will help to motivate
you
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Mainly, just write!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Well, thanks for coming all!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Been a great Oregon hour!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
Come by Sunday...
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|
mary rosenblum
|
for our regular casual chat...
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mary rosenblum
|
same time as this forum.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
Great place to bring your
stuck stories!
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|
mary rosenblum
|
Have a good weekend, all!
|
|
mary rosenblum
|
I'll post the transcript in
the usual place...
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|
mary rosenblum
|
writing craft: forum
transcripts.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
Bye!
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