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<title>writer’s block</title>
<link>http://www.writinghood.com/tags/writer’s block</link>
<description>New posts about writer’s block</description>
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<title>The Fiction Muse and Writer’s Block</title>
<link>http://www.writinghood.com/Writing/The-Fiction-Muse-and-Writers-Block.73986</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Almost every fiction writer I have ever spoken to believes that they have a personal muse.  Muses, however, can take many forms.  It is rare to find a fiction writer who considers his or her muse to be like the muses of mythology.  Some are fairies that flit about with magic wands, sprinkling ideas and words into a fiction writer's brain.  Others are doctor sorts, who inject the fiction.  Some consider their muses slave masters who take a hard-nosed approach to the fiction writer's progress.</p>
 
 <p>For all the fiction writers that do believe that they have a muse who helps them work, they also blame this muse on the dreaded writer's block.</p>
 
 <p>Writer's block is an affliction that befalls every writer at some time or another.  It is an illness that comes without warning, and it certainly can be contracted more than once in a lifetime, or even a fiction story.  </p>
 
 <p>When a fiction writer has writer's block, their muse freezes.  The muse either has nothing to say, or refuses to say it.  Some fiction writers, frustrated with the struggle of beginning or completing a story, consider their muse to take perverse joy in messing them up.</p>
 
 <p>So, how does a fiction writer triumph over the evilly cackling muse?  How to their wrest back the control of the story from that silent inner voice?  How do fiction writers stop writer's block?</p>
 
 
<h3>There are three good methods for beating writer's block and getting your muse to talk again.</h3>

 
 <p>The first method is launching a massive brainstorming session.  Brainstorming is the practice of writing down every single crazy thing that pops in to your head.  If you have a basic idea about what you want the fiction story to be about, you should build off that idea.  Do not worry if your ideas sound crazy.  At least they are ideas.  Your muse will not know what hit him.</p>
 
 <p>The second method for dealing with writer's block is to just write anyway.  Open up your word processing software and write anything that comes into your head.  Give yourself a time limit, about five or ten minutes, and force yourself to write constantly for that whole time.  The constant and continuous clattering of the keys just might wake your muse up.  </p>
 
 <p>The third method is not recommended.  It does not get a fiction writer over writer's block so much as succumb dismally to it.  The third method is to go on strike.  Force yourself not to write anything.  Do not try to come up with any ideas, do not try to work on your current fiction piece.  One night, in the depths of slumber, your muse will awake and start whispering, giving you an idea in a dream.  Or you will again hear its voice in a business meeting, class lecture, or on the cross-town bus.</p>
 
 <p>Do not ignore your muse.  It does not want you to succumb to writer's block, for then it is trapped in dismal silence.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.writinghood.com%2FWriting%2FThe-Fiction-Muse-and-Writers-Block.73986"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.writinghood.com%2FWriting%2FThe-Fiction-Muse-and-Writers-Block.73986" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 04:13:19 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Keep Your Creativity High</title>
<link>http://www.writinghood.com/Style/How-To/Keep-Your-Creativity-High.72333</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Relying on your muse to give you ideas is not always the best idea.  After all, a fiction writer's muse is a very fickle thing.  You could get ten great ideas in a row and quickly jot them down in your writer's notebook, or you could fall into the pit of writer's block. </p>
 
 <p>Even if your muse does not give you ideas, you can still make them.  After all, a professional writer must write.  Therefore, a writer must come up with ideas constantly.  Below are three great ways to keep your creativity high.</p>
 
 <h3>Writing Prompts</h3>
 
 <p>Many writer's use writing prompts to jump start their creativity.  These can be found in books and online.  Writing prompts can consist of a picture, word, or even a character description or plot devise.  No matter what it is, you should commit to writing about the topic given.</p>
 
 <h3>Random Word Trick</h3>
 
 <p>You can create your own word writing prompts with the help of the dictionary.  Simply open it randomly three times and write down the first words that your eyes fall on.  You may get some interesting combinations!  Tell yourself that you have to write something that incorporates all three words, or all three ideas that you have about those words.  This  will keep your creativity pumping for you.</p>
 
 <h3>Write No Matter What</h3>
 
 <p>The most important thing to remember, even when a writer does not feel particular creative, is to keep writing, no matter what.  Give yourself permission to write nonsense, or write something really horrible.  As long as you keep churning out the words on a page, your creativity will be sparked.  Sometimes, a random sentence or thought will kick start your muse into finding the perfect topic for you to write about.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.writinghood.com%2FStyle%2FHow-To%2FKeep-Your-Creativity-High.72333"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.writinghood.com%2FStyle%2FHow-To%2FKeep-Your-Creativity-High.72333" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 06:07:10 PST</pubDate></item>
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