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Marjorie Liu

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Writer’s Block. Again.

Oct 10 Marjorie

If I drive myself to the brink of my ability, then I don’t get stale or bored. – Dean Koontz

Yes, it’s another post about writer’s block.  Guess why? 

Anyway, this is a great essay about how to hack your way out of writer’s block.  My favorite tip?  Talk to a monkey. That, and quit beating yourself up.  You can�t create when you feel ass-whipped. Stop visualizing catastrophes, and focus on positive outcomes.

Yes.  Breathe, little cricket.  Go and wish on a star.

This individual has another take on writer’s block – or rather, writer’s fear: Fear is what stops me from getting thoughts down and published. Fear tells me that my ideas aren�t fresh or original. Fear whispers to me that my prose isn�t concise or persuasive. Fear fuels the negative thinking that no one cares about what I have to say. The solution of the day to fear is�.action. I�m throwing caution to the wind and getting the ideas down.

Fear is an interesting way to look at writer’s block.  It reminds me of Yoda.  Fear leads to anger (why can’t I write), anger leads to hate (I don’t want to write), hate leads to suffering (I’ll never write again).  Which means, I guess, that I’m totally on the slippery slope to becoming a Sith.  Yee-haw. 

And here’s what Sara Donati has to say:  Generally my take on writer’s block is simple. If you’re stuck, you’re trying to force the story in the wrong direction. This time it took me three days to figure that out, three days of inching forward against huge resistance from the characters and the story itself. Trying to figure out what was wrong, how I could fix it, how such a great scene could fall so flat.

Yes.  I’m with her all the way on that one. But it’s so frustrating.  You write a scene, think it’s great, and then the next thing you know you’ve hit a wall and you realize that all the fine prose that came pouring out of you is nothing, unnecessary.  Crap.  And yes, you get stubborn – you think, “I’ll use this, no matter what.  I’ll make it work.” But you know what?  You just can’t do that.  Or maybe you can, but the story won’t have roots.  It won’t find itself, and neither will you.  The flow has to be natural, and your subconcious knows what that is.  You just have to shut down enough to hear that voice.  You have to surrender your ego, your thinking self. Cut off the head and see what pours out.

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About Me


I write comic books and novels about grumpy warrior women, eccentric demons, plucky fox girls, and men who can shape-shift into tigers. If a merman or gargoyle shows up, all the better!  To learn more about me, please go here.

For The Media

My agent is Duvall Osteen. Please contact her for any business-related inquiries, including publicity and blurb requests, and speaking engagements.

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