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On Writer's Block

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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.

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.

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.

An important book that will help you understand why paralysis sets in when you try to write. If you feel "bound up" at the very times you wish to write, please get this book. (You know the feeling -- you set out to write first thing in the morning, but spend the day doing anything and everything but. Tomorrow will be different, you think, but it is not.) Also, I had puzzled over a problem with my manuscript and consulted writing instructors and other professional writers about it to no avail. After reading three pages of this book the answer came to me. Your money will be well spent. Her theories work, and they are not as simplistic as an earlier review would have it. She writes with an intelligent, sophisticated, kind and understanding style. A must read for any serious, committed but emotionally paralyzed writer. Thank you Victoria.

After publishing my first book, I thought the next one would be easier. That was definitely not the case but after reading "On Writer's Block," I am slowly making my way back to the writing table. This book helped take a whole new look at how I approach writing. I would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to be a part of any creative process. Thank you Victoria Nelson for writing this book. It is wonderfully inspiring.

When I am completely stymied as to why I can't write creatively, I reach for the books at my bedside - The Holy Bible and this treasured paperback - to place me squarely back on track. Ms. Nelson has the uncanny ability to get me to cast away my inner slave driver who ruthlessly tries to force fame and fortune out of every sentence I write. She reminds me that I am a human being in need of TLC and a change in expectations without using cloying, "self-help" speak. I am forever indebted to her for writing such a wise book that comes across like loving advice from a trusted, experienced mentor every time I read a few chapters. My wish is that other frustrated writers come to know her intelligent solace so they can face the blank page truthfully, in peace and with joy. Thank you, Ms. Nelson, for being such a cherished lifesaver.

Victoria Nelson's "On Writer's Block" covers the entire territory of writing process, not just the silences inherent in that process.

It's filled with marvelous quotations and wonderful tips. One I loved was: write your own review before the critics to so you'll have something solid to lean against.

This book belongs in every writer's bedside library.

Janet Riehl, author Sightlines: A Poet's Diary

I have never looked at Writer's Block the same way again after reading this book. She shares wonderful stories of other creative artists, defines a number of common blocks, and best of all, ways out.

It has a very psychological approach to the creative spirit.

This is my second reading of this very important book about "writer's block" and I highly recommend it. On Writer's Block

Victoria Nelson cuts through the crap. I have a friend who is a young poet. He complained to me once that he was having trouble writing because he finds himself to complex. I asked him to produce an essay about Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the concept of puer aeternis. He came back the following week and told me he couldn't find anything to help him write the essay (excuse). I gave him a copy of the DSM-IIIR and a copy of On Writer's Block. The next week he produced the essay. Enough said?