Here’s a bit of perspective about writer’s block from an interview with novelist Alice Hoffman (author of Incantation, Here on Earth, The Story Sisters and many other novels, books of short fiction, books for children and young adults, plus many nonfiction pieces).
When the interviewer asked Hoffman if she ever had writer’s block and if so what she did to overcome it, this was her response:
I didn’t believe in writer’s block until I had it — twice in terrible periods of my life. Both times the only way out for me was to start writing, and through the process of writing, something appeared. i decided I would write five pages a day and not look at them for three weeks. Part of having writer’s block is feeling it’s worthless or you’re worthless and you can’t do it right. {You have to tell} yourself, “I’m just going to write, and I’m not going to look at it. I’m not going to judge it.” By the time you look at it, there may be something inside of it you can use.”
The interview, “Writing Her Way into the Story,” by Elfrieda Abbe, appeared in the July 2009 edition of The Writer. Read the entire piece for a look at what Hoffman has learned along the way since her first novel was published when she was 21 and still a student at Stanford University. It’s a very informative piece that we can all learn from.
—————————————————–
Now for the announcement. Come back to this site soon for a Guest Post by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, a full-time freelance writer on Bowen Island, BC, Canada. Laurie’s post won’t be about writer’s block but about how to become a more productive writer. Her post should be up early next week.
© 2009 by Laverne Daley
Please leave a comment.
TAGS:
writer’s block,
writing,
freelancer,
magazines,
novels,
nonfiction
