Even the most prolific writers have bouts of dealing with a blank page. So how do you transport yourself from a time when it doesn’t seem like there’s an idea alive in your brain to the moments when your fingers can’t fly across the keyboard fast enough?
In the words of Nike…just do it.
My best advice comes from the great writing teacher and author Anne Lamott who has devoted chapters to the problem of writer’s block. My favorite chapter from her book, “Bird by Bird,” is called Shitty First Drafts and that’s just what you have to embrace.
When writer’s block strikes, don’t be afraid of a shitty first draft. Just get an idea out on the page, don’t worry about how it reads because once you start it’s like a cold car engine — you’ll warm up and then rev up. You’ll unleash your creativity and then the fun part comes…when you’ve got a completed, first draft and you can edit.
Writing takes mental energy. The blank page and those first words can leave you feeling vulnerable, but persevere by putting anything down. It’s not only the best way to start your project, but to finish it as well.
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