Every year, millions suffer from this debilitating condition. Characterized by diminished mental acuity, increased tension and an inability to develop proper coping methods, BCS is the silent killer of the literary world. As the condition worsens it often manifests itself as full on venomous rage and the copious imbibing of alcohol.
Yes, Blinking Cursor Syndrome is no laughing matter – we're all touched by its mocking indifference. But thankfully, due to recent advancements in the study of BCS, no one needs to suffer alone.
(How did you like my little infomercial?)
Writers block. Like it or not, everyone encounters this gremlin at one point or another. So what do you do when the good ideas stop flowing and you find yourself trudging through each paragraph at the speed of molasses, with the artful precision of a shotgun blast? Well first, I'd like to share my experience with this very problem.
Initially, I thought I was invincible. I was making great progress on my manuscript: my characters were well rounded and spoke with their own unique voice, the plot was seemingly established and convincing, the writing seemed active and didn't drag the reader down with unnecessary exposition, the words were practically draining out of my brain and spilling upon the page, countless thousands of words with every passing week! Everything seemed to be going hunky dory.
And then it struck. Blinking cursor syndrome. Writers block. After three peaceful weeks of dodging it, I was finally hit – and it hit hard.
In my naivete I thought that something was wrong with me, that a creative person should have no limit, that there weren't enough hours in the day to contain all of my brilliance scrawled upon the page (or, more accurately, typed into my electronic word document, but that's not nearly as sexy for illustrative purposes). I was wrong.
The funny thing is, even with all of my years following the blogs of authors, agents, editors and publishers and reading what they have to say, I still foolishly ignored their obvious advice. And what was it that all of these industry gurus had to say about writers block? Deal with it. You heard right folks, deal with it. Sit down, quit your whining and prove your worthiness of obtaining that prestigious contract that separates the published from the unpublished. Easier said then done? Most certainly. A little harsh? Perhaps. But are they right? Without question.
Whenever I come up against a wall these days, I heed their advice. I deal with it. Fist I set a limit: a word limit, a time limit, or a scene limit, and then I force myself to abstain from any other indulgences until my task is complete: interactions with friends or loved ones? Sorry everyone, but you need to take a hike, because I'm in this for the long haul. Maybe it's just the masochist in me, but I won't even allow myself a snack or bathroom break if I'm really straggling (I do not condone such drastic measures for everyone – if your dehydrated and malnourished body is discovered slumped unconscious over your desk, you have only yourself to blame :p)
Now you may be asking, “Brad, if I force my writing in order to break through my writers block, isn't there a good chance that my writing will suffer for it?” but to that I say pfffffffft. Let's be honest, in the first draft of a manuscript do you really believe that what you've written is untouchable? The simple fact of the matter is that no part of your writing should be overlooked once you take the heavy hand of revision to it. As far as I'm concerned the first draft is for the guts: characters, scenes, obstacles and a satisfying conclusion. Fin. It's in the revision process that all the fine tuning takes place, and you're awarded the questionable honour of agonizing over sentence structure, grammar, the tightness of your paragraphs, whether your voice is too passive and debating whether or not your novel would better read in the first or third person.
I have been writing this novel since November of 2009, and along the way I've encountered writers block more than I'd like to admit. There's simply no way around it. It will happen to you. But I think I have to side with the many who have said it all before me -- you just have to deal with it to the best of your abilities. Quit whining about the writers block, and write the damned thing!
Well, what are you waiting for? Sit down and hammer out those pages! Unless of course you'd like to share your own method of dealing with BCS, in which case I'm all ears :)
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