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Writer's Block... How to beat mental lock down!

Writer's Block... How to beat mental lock down!

 

Nine months ago you came up with a great idea for a romantic comedy  that you pitched to a publisher who was willing to print it.  Like any labor  of  love, you started  this project off with a  mountain load of  enthusiasm, formulating a  clever storyline filled with colorful characters and witty  dialogue. Three hundred and  fifty pages of manuscript later, you find yourself sitting  in front  of your computer screen with the  deer in the headlight expression on  your face. You've reached your climax, but have absolutely no idea how to bring your story down  to its inevitable end. Congratulations... you just contracted another case of  writers block!  The  preverbial well of imagination has run dry and you  don't have a  clue as  to how  bring yourself  out  of  this dry spell.

 

If you are  reading  this and  have found  yourself  in a similar predicament... just know that  you are not alone. Other more experienced writers have  been there, done that and got the  T-shirt to prove it. Listed  below are some proven techniques that may  be of value to  you  in  your  time  of need.

 

1. Draft a Story Outline: Retracing  your steps mentally does wonders in terms of helping you to get back on the right track. Put all of your ideas on paper... try to envision the story from the beginning, middle and  end then reverse engineer it if you can.

 

2. Talk about it: Learn how  to summarize the entire  storyline in 2-3 minutes. This technique  is what I refer  to as your elevator pitch. Why is this an  important technique  to master? Simply  because  if  you have already written the  book (mentally) it  will be that much easier to put it on paper.

 

3. Take a Break: The  mind is a  complex computer and  no  matter  how  long  you stare at a screen while  in writer's  block  mode, your inspiration  to  write that perfect manuscript just won't happen. Like all  computers, every so often you need to power down and defrag your hard  drives. Before you add sleep deprivation to the list  of  your literary woes, try doing this instead: take a walk, watch TV, read a  book, go bowling or whatever you do  to unwind. Time away from the screen will pay off in the end.

 

Tip  for the Day:  Preparing  for the next Book Fair:

Imagine going  to the Frankfurt Book Fair and being stuck in an elevator with the CEO of a major book publishing company for 2-3 minutes. What would  you do  with that time? A hungry writer  would  naturally take this opportunity  to talk about the book you are working  on. Keep in mind, you don't necessarily have  to complete a book to sell a million dollar idea, but you can spend  the next  nine  months bringing it to life. Construct a 2 minute elevator  pitch and see what happens, after all "Fortune favors the prepared." 

 

Jermaine Rivers

CEO/ Founder

Mainestream Publishing

www.mainestreampublishing.net

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