At a Loss for Words

Olympic Champions, Virtue and Moir

Most people believe that a writer, suddenly inspired, goes running to the nearest table and jots the ideas down. While it may happen that way sometimes, there are many more days when a hapless author stares at a blank page, at a loss for words.

What can be done?

You could run to the nearest search engine and look up Ten Tips for overcoming Writer's Block. I must admit I have done this more times than I can count. I have also come up with my own lists, but in the end, I decided to approach writing as a trained athlete does their sport. Years of figure skating began with the simple act of lacing up my skates. Once on the ice, we were wedded to our warm up. At the start, we just skated, slowly, and then with increasing speed, circling around the rink. With our arms whizzing through the air, the great muscles in the body starting to warm up, crossovers were executed, and smaller circles were covered. Then we turned and skated backwards, back crossovers were done, with our knees bending easily. Next a great jump, the simplest one, the three jump. Once, twice, aiming for greater height, aiming to nail the landing. With a feeling of confidence, we tried a more difficult maneuver.

For the writer, it is not so very different. It begins with coffee. I like to check Facebook, email, Twitter, and any other thing I can think of before I get dressed, take a brisk walk, or do Yoga and then sit down and open the great document. For me, this is the hardest. John Lennon once went years without picking up his guitar, but when he did, the songs flowed out of him like a river. Ernest Hemingway advised that one should not write to the last idea in your head the day before; it is better to leave a little something for the next day. That should make getting started easier, provided, of course that you can remember what that little something was.

Stick with the same place. I need to have my gaze facing water. I need a dedicated space. I do not wander around with my computer. I need to be in the slot.

Keep inspirational icons near at hand. Two pictures of my children sit on my desk. I want them to know that I did what I set out to do. I have a plaque of my strengths as given to me by Gallop:  Intellection, Arranger, Connectedness, Learner and Context. An index card stating what I need to keep in mind is at my left. A bit of crockery my son made in a pottery class holds my pens. Mail that needs answering and a few other things are scattered here and there. It is always personal, even when I worked in a cubicle, it had to have a few mementos, to remind me of home. The rest of the room is stuffed with pictures of the people I love, watercolors on the wall that have been around for most of my life, a mirror of my mother's and on and on. I favor clutter, and always have; it makes me feel cozy somehow. A pine book case with a glass door holds my diaries. A notebook at my right is a running portrait of my brain. All these things help me to get started.

I get up frequently and move. Too much sitting stagnates the thoughts. I think about lunch all morning. I hate being interrupted and will not take calls until the afternoon. I will not clean house, or tackle  any other big tasks until my writing is done.

Ten pages a day. If I am really stuck, I tell myself, I can do ten pages. So that is where I am: on the fifth draft with ten pages daily of revision. Often times it is more, but that does not mean I get off the hook with five the next day.

Read, read, read and read some more. Did you know that a recent study identified readers of fiction having different brain patterns for at least five days after finishing a book? Read the first sentence of each book on the shelf. That will set your imagination in motion. It is an active creature after all.

Give yourself as much quiet time as you can swing. Here in Windy Bay, on Lake Coeur d' Alene, there are lovely woodsy roads that are as quiet as a church. I soak in as much silence as I can each and every day. In order to have thoughts spring to mind, you have to make room for them. Worries, cares and strife of every kind must be dealt with systematically, with the hours for writing carved out. If it means the baby's nap time, or the wee hours before work, or the midnight oil after, we have all been there and done that.

Be stubborn. Be selfish, driven, focused and above all obstinate because everyone in sundry will try to get you to do anything else, but what you set out to do first and foremost.

Ask for help. Isn't it so often the case that what we put last should be first? This is by far the hardest for me, and I daresay the most necessary. If you are struggling, reach out. It may be just the thing to put you over the top.

Different Venues to Being Labeled A Writer

Jennifer Rova
Does the title mean you have to write a New York Times "Top Ten Fiction" books in order to be or think of yourself as a WRITER? Does this mean that you have your name above the title in your mystery book? There are  twenty categories of writing that will define you as a writer.

      

 Pinterest.com "Writing" Original source unknown.

 Play writing---the writing is challenging but more so finding someone to produce your play is harder. A limited number of plays are produced each year and you have to have connections or be at the door when opportunity knocks.

      Poetry---a difficult way to earn a living. There just isn’t interest in today’s world to support poetry. Competitions are numerous however.

      Resume---not a strong wage earner but combined with other types of writing, it has its niche.

      Magazine articles---a popular form of writing. You may write for women’s magazines like Good Housekeeping and Family Circle, men’s magazines like Esquire and Men's Health or specialty magazines such as Iowa Farm Wife that hire outsiders to write for them on a per story basis. Some of the racier magazines pay up to $1.00/word. The lead-time is up to a year ahead.

      Screenwriters---writing screenplays for TV or movies. Movies pay a lot especially if the movie is a success and you have negotiated your contract well, as can writing for a hit TV series.

      Nonfiction---this category contains many subgenres. The stories must be true and accurate. They can be biographical books or articles, stories about any subject for any variety of audiences such as horse riding, sheep tending, sewing, camping, fitness, biographies, etc.

Academic---academicians must “publish” which is doing research, writing about it and finding the appropriate venue for publication. Other academic writing is for the bragging rights of having an article you wrote published in some credible magazine or online but there is often no pay. The pay for the former is that you are allowed to keep your job!
 Speechwriters---these jobs are mostly in the political arena but also may be part of another job like being the VP of a large company where you are asked to write the presentation/speech for your boss. 
Greeting cards---these jobs pay adequately and can be steady employment if you work for a company like Hallmark. These businesses often use freelance writers when they want new materials.
Columnists--- a work-your-way up profession. Writers usually have undergraduate college degrees in journalism or political science and start writing anything for small newspapers. Given time, opportunities and good work, you may be offered a job at a bigger newspaper until you have a reputation for something----adroitness, insight, sharp analytical abilities or a certain savvy or humor in an area.  A steady column may be offered for writing regularly in a newspaper or magazine. This can lead to full books outside of the newspaper job. Fareed Zakaria writes for TIME magazine while Ann Landers and her sister wrote advice columns for newspapers.
Journalists are similar to columnists. Most have college degrees. Some are all-category writers while others specialize in business, coverage of war or near-war situations, local stories, and politics. Some may write a series of articles following an ongoing event or through sleuthing, uncover a scandal or expose fraud.
Copywriters are among the best-paid writers. They are the people who write ads like “Folgers coffee. Mmm, mmm, good” and “Bounty the quicker picker upper.” There are other aspects to copy writing and it pays well, again up to $1/word. It can be freelance or on-staff positions in ad agencies. The ability to sell anything, window cleaner, a fantasy story, a pair of skies or a political mystery all use the talents of the copywriter to market the product.
 Songwriters---most people do not think of writing songs as a writing profession. It is combined with the ability to also write music or collaborate with someone who writes the music and you write the words like Rogers and Hammerstein.

Ghost writers---a decent paying freelance job with little or no glory. A famous person will “write” her memoirs but you do the actual writing based on interviews with the person. You may get your name mentioned or not. “My Life” by Sandra Bullock with Jane Doe”, Jane being the ghostwriter, or “Elizabeth Smart: My Story” without  your name. (Both are fictitious books made for this blog example.)
Game writers---if you are into computer games, you know the market for video game stories is huge. This writer works with a team of artists and computer specialists to make a video game that appeals to a certain age group. If you write a successful one, it can be part of a series. You can always moonlight as a fantasy or Goth writer in the evenings.   
Grant writers---freelance or work on staff for a not for profit organization that needs funding. You write or petition a targeted foundation, company or business for money for a specific project through a “grant proposal.” This type of writing takes the understanding of how a not for profit organization functions, what its needs are, the details and goal of the project for which the organization is seeking funding. Writers take a percentage of the grant money when it is given (and nothing if the NFP does not win the grant money), or gets a straight fee or is part of a full time job with the agency.
 Fiction---children’s books, ‘tweens, and adults, plus many genres like mystery, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, crime, or learning for children among others. This field is wide open and well known. It can lucrative and is always hard work both writing and marketing your work.   
Online---this can be writing a web site for a business, your own blog or writing for an e-zine. Some businesses pay you to write about their horse stables or golf course while with your own blog, you write for something other than money unless companies pay to advertise on your site.
 Sermons---a specialized niche for a specific profession. It takes insight, knowledge of religion, and determining the right angle for his/her congregational demographics.
  Newsletters---this can earn you a profit after a lot of hard work and time building an clientele. Some businesses hire freelancers to writer a monthly newsletter for its clients or staff. If you freelance, you will need to build up a series of clients in order to earn a living at this type of writing.

Then there is travel writing, cartoons, letters, toasts, short stories, long stories...You can write. Sit down, get busy and good luck!