On Writer's Block [Paperback]

Victoria Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1993

In an extensively revised edition, rich with anecdotes and exercises, Nelson defines the true nature of writer's block--viewing it as a positive element in a writer's growth, rather than a source of guilt or frustration--and shows writers how to reestablish contact with their creative selves. "Clearly written . . . full of interesting and valuable insights."--Ellen Gilchrist.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Writer's block is almost certainly older than the first written word. In this liberating book, Nelson explores how writer's block can be turned into a positive experience by listening to and learning from the unconscious, which often is attempting to suggest a better approach to the task at hand. By clarifying the origins of writer's block, Nelson allows you to transform annoying conceptual and emotional obstructions into beneficial tools and building blocks for creativity. Recommended.

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company (March 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395647274
• ISBN-13: 978-0395647271
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #642,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why writer's block may be the writer's best tool., August 15, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: On Writer's Block (Paperback)

For most writers the dreaded 'writer's block' is a hellish state to be avoided, rejected and reviled. Blocked writers often spend as much time torturing themselves for their 'laziness' and 'lack of discipline' as they do staring at the blank page or blank screen in front of them. Certainly most self-help books for blocked writers adopt the idea that the block is an annoyance to be overcome ("Write on!" they cheer, and: "Write now!") For some lucky souls this 'get over it' philosophy does the trick, but if the huge number of books about writer's block is any indication, for many, it just doesn't work.

Victoria Nelson's "On Writer's Block" takes a different tack. Instead of offering tips for bulldozing over the block or tricks for sneaking around the block, Nelson advises meeting the block head on. Her idea is that the writer is not just passively blocked by some outside force, but is actively 'not writing' for a reason. Nelson explains how by learning what that reason is and understanding their real needs, writers can recover their passion and direction and ultimately become better, more mature writers.

This book is eloquently written, supportive of the writer and full of great quotes about writer's block from some surprising sources. Nelson discusses the different kinds of blocks that may affect a writer at any stage of his career, from the terror of the beginner's first attempt to the anxiety that comes with real success. There are a few exercises and some advice for ways to ease back into writing after a block, but this is no quick fix: This is a book for the writer who is in it for the long haul -- who is willing to work and grow and change to become a better writer, even if it means not writing for a little while longer.

To this occasionally blocked writer, the extra effort seems worthwhile.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading This Review? Read This Book., December 19, 2000

By 

J. P. Kelley (The Pacific Northwest, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Writer's Block (Paperback)

When I read in the preface of "On Writer's Block" that it was based on the tenets of humanistic psychology so popular in the mid-80's, I groaned. Not another book telling me to get in touch with my inner child! Well, it may be a case of "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear," but this book helped bring me out of a seven-year struggle with wanting desperately to write, but not being able to.

The key is not to take the "inner child" notion too literally, but to look on it as a metaphor that can help bridge the gap between the subconscious (the realm of myth and dreams) and the conscious (the rational world, whose demands and vagaries we seek to illuminate). If you are constantly barking orders at your inner self, as I have for years, treating it as a recalcitrant subordinate who is going to be in big trouble if he doesn't get with the program, then there's no wonder the poor kid cringes in the corner and refuses to come out. Victoria Nelson urges us to think about creativity as a form of play, a release of emotions, truths, and insights that is unmediated by analysis or judgment.

I've run across the notion of creativity as play before, in Julia Cameron's "Artist Way" and "Vein of Gold," but have successfully resisted the beneficial effects of Cameron's rituals for years. (Nevertheless I recommend these books very highly--they may have helped set the stage for my breakthrough here.) Nelson's approach is different. Each short chapter is like the soft voice of an old friend, cutting right to the heart of things and giving you the hard truths you need to hear. If any of the chapter titles in this book ring the slightest bell for you--if, in fact, you are interested enough in this topic to be reading this review--then you owe it to yourself to take a look at this book.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blocked or Not, Encouragement and Clear Advice, May 16, 2001

By 

Suzanne E. Anderson "Author of Mrs. Tuesday's... (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Writer's Block (Paperback)

The title really doesn't do the scope of this book justice. I picked up this book because I was having some problems with a novel in progress. Then I read it and just sighed....clear insight into the writing process, the good, and useless, habits we form and their impact on our productivity. The book addresses a wide spectrum, such as: "Beginner's Block", Procrastination, Perfectionism, Obsessive Rewriting, and Success. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, this book should be part of your toolbox. It will get you writing....happily.