In my last entry, I described my personal experience with writer's block. I had an abundance of story ideas but I froze every time I faced a blank page. I couldn't even start writing, let alone complete a chapter or a whole novel or screenplay.
There are two types of writer's block. Writers who experience the first type suffer from a lack of ideas. Writers dealing with the second type have no shortage of ideas but suffer from an inability to get into the flow of writing.
This technique is intended for writers bogged down by the second type of writer's block. It's a trick I learned a couple of years ago but at the time I thought it sounded a bit silly. It seems to work well for me now that I've given it a fair chance. Give it a try. It will help you get the words flowing again.
Step 1
Grab one of your favorite books, preferably in the same genre as the story you're trying to write. You'll only need the first two to six pages, so if you don't have a copy of the book handy, feel free to select an excerpt from the author's web site and print it for use with this exercise.
Step 2 (optional but recommended)
You'll need to be able to see the pages of the book while you type on your computer's keyboard or write in a notebook. For the sake of protecting the spine of the book from breaking, I recommend photocopying the first six pages of the book onto regular sheets of paper instead. Feel free to make double-sided copies to save paper.
Step 3
Position the pages next to your computer (or next to your notebook if you prefer to handwrite instead). Make sure the pages are placed in a location where you're able to easily read them while you type or write.
If you don't already have a document holder or a clip to hold the sheets of paper in your line of sight while you type, try a Page Up. They come in a variety of colors and designs, and you can get them for a few dollars from Amazon.com or from Cool Safety Products. (You can see all the colors and styles on the Cool Safety Products site.)
Step 4
Open a blank document in your word processing software, or open to a blank page in your notebook. Start transcribing the pages of the book. Type the text exactly as it appears on the page. Type each sentence, each paragraph, each bit of description and dialogue.
It might take only one or two pages of typing to get you into a writing groove. Sometimes you may have to transcribe five or six full pages before you find yourself writing freely again. I've found it rarely takes more than six pages to get me into the right state of mind.
Regardless of whether it takes you one page or ten pages, it won't take long to break through the wall that was holding you back. When you reach that point, set aside the book and start typing your own words instead.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG Kris, this is a FANTASTIC idea and I’m going to try it. It sounds like stretching before a workout in a way. I’m going to see if this helps me – I used to have the kind of writer’s block where I was completely bereft of ideas – now I have a virtual cornucopia of ideas, but each time I sit to write, I get maybe a paragraph or two in and then I freeze. I hope this works for me, I’m quitting my high paying job so I can work on my book(s) for the next 4-6 months. I think I’ll transcribe the first 10 pages of “The Day of the Triffids,” one of my all-time favourites, and see if will unblock me, like psyllium fibre for the creative soul. LOL!
You know, I thought about doing something similar to this years ago, but thought of it as “cheating” – using one of my favourite books as a “template” or a formula – start the action when my favourite author starts the action, describing my world while the author describes his – I wouldn’t be copying him, I’d be writing my own story. I thought about using the book as a guide to see if I could write something original while having the structure of another novel that would act as a blueprint for my own story. I don’t know if that’s the wrong way to go about it – I’ve never tried it though.
I’ll try your method and see if it unlocks my fear of writing something horrid (or nothing at all). It seems that as soon as I start writing, a little voice creeps into my head and says, “You’d better get this right. You’d better not suck, or you will have quit your secure job for nothing, and you’ll end up starving in the street.” LOL! Yeah, I don’t put any pressure on myself at ALL.
haha so cute =D it’s like when you first start out drawing you (maybe) trace then copy and then finally drawing your own lines after familiarising yourself/planning out your own way to draw existing ones. though admittedly, writing is like taking the encyclopedias and indexes for everything you’ve stored and formed in your head and mapping them out for and into a story. viewed this way,..it all just sounds so exciting