Outwitting Writers' Block: And Other Problems of the Pen (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Writer's block is an insidious pest-a beady-eyed rodent hiding under the floorboards of even the hardest working writers, waiting to rear its hideous head at..." (more)
Key Phrases: ugly notebook, weekly objectives, Outwitting Writers Block, Chicken Soup, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you've ever found yourself staring at the blank page all day, or cleaning out the refrigerator for the fifth time in a week just to avoid seeing that taunting blinking cursor, then you've experienced writer's block.
The good news? It means you're a writer. It's not important that you have these times; what's important is how you deal with them. OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK will provide tricks of the trade to help any writer break through the dreaded block and become a more creative and better writer than before. Filled to the brim with exercises designed to jump-start creativity, encouraging tips from fellow writers and instructors, and tools for analyzing the causes and cures for the nefarious Blank Page syndrome, this book is like Drain-o for clogged creative pipes.
Glatzer tells writers how to:
* know when an idea isn't going to work, versus when it just needs a new approach;
* apply relaxation techniques to get back the nirvana of writing "in flow;"
* look at writing like any other job, with set hours and required levels of output;
* set up your writing space for optimal performance;
* tell if you've chosen the wrong form, and/or if it's time to pick a new genre or media;
* knock the editor off your shoulder;
* examine other causes--lifestyle changes, depression, stress, etc. that may need to be addressed;
* and more

OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK is a humorous, inspirational, practical guide for writers, college students, businesspeople, and those who would like to write as a means of therapy or "release."

From the Back Cover

If you've ever found yourself staring at the blank page all day, or cleaning out the refrigerator for the fifth time in a week just to avoid seeing that taunting, blinking cursor, then you've experienced writer's block.
Outwitting Writer's Block will help any writer break through the dreaded block and become a more creative and better writer than before. Filled with exercises designed to jump-start creativity and encouraging tips from fellow writers and instructors, this book is like Drano for clogged creative pipes.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592281249
• ISBN-13: 978-1592281244
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #679,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Web Guru Shares Experience, Research with Writers, January 3, 2004

By	Carolyn Howard-Johnson "Author 'This is the P... (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Glatzer has an exceptional talent. She has writing experience that smacks you in the face with its authenticity. She says, "Writers block is really more a case of opportunity knocking and you having your radio tuned up too loudly to hear it." (p. 10) and then goes on to explain how you might benefit from the big WB.

Glatzers's book sets an example for writers because it is fresh, carefully crafted, and entertaining. There are, to be sure, other books that address writer's block but this one is far more fun and less dogmatic than most. These are the fraternal twins that let this volume fill a much-needed niche in advice books for writers.
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Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. ...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one's a keeper!!, November 18, 2003

By	Paul Davis (Suffolk, NY) - See all my reviews

Having just finished reading Jenna Glatzer's OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK, I'm pleased to report that this book is chock full of innovative, creative, and just-plain-fun tips for all writers, blocked or not. Glatzer's friendly and oftentimes humorous writing style is a definite asset, since it makes the read a very pleasureable, yet very informative one. As I read, I found myself highlighting and dog-earing page after page, so that I would not forget any of the many wonderful pointers and suggestions interspersed throughout the book. I can't wait to put some of those suggestions to use! Thanks, Ms. Glatzer, for such a fresh look at an age-old problem. You've definitely dispersed some of the cobwebs in this writer's brain! Bravo!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Writing Book I've Ever Read, November 9, 2003

By	Nina Russett (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This author makes you feel like she's known you forever. She seems to pick up on amazing universal truths about writers that I didn't realize were universal truths until I read the book. For example, she writes about professional jealousy and how she would work herself into a tizzy when another writer-friend "trumped" her, or when a writer who wasn't very talented got a big break. I had been feeling so guilty for having these feelings about my own writing-friends, but now I realize that even more experienced writers still feel that way and it's normal.

But better than that, she offers such a wide array of "tricks" and tips for beating writer's block that something HAS to work! If the first method doesn't work, try a different method. She doesn't advocate just one thing, which is the problem I had with a different book about writer's block (the writer just offered one systematic solution. It didn't work for me, so the book was useless). With this one, I had to keep putting it down every few pages to scribble down new ideas it gave me.

That was amazing. I had been feeling uninspired and like I was running out of new ideas, but this book made me realize how to open my "writer's eyes" and find ideas in everyday circumstances. It energized me, like jumpstarting a battery, so I felt compelled to actually write down my ideas and start drafting them instead of letting them sit in my brain until I forgot them.

It's such a personal book and manages to weave effortlessly between humor and serious issues, even making me laugh when the author is discussing a very painful experience.

I think the biggest strength of this book is that it teaches writers to let go of all the guilt and burdens they have placed on themselves, or let others place on them. I can't write every day, and I haven't been published much yet, so I was afraid to call myself a "writer," but the author made me feel like that was okay, and in doing so, I got less anxious and self-conscious about the act of writing itself. I have written more in the past two weeks than I have all year, just because I feel better about it and less worried about making everything "perfect."

I knew from the author's website that I was going to like her style, but this just went so far beyond my expectations. I now feel like I have a brilliant teacher sitting on my bookshelf whenever I need her. At this rate, that won't be too often, because I can't imagine ever running out of ideas again! It's brilliant. Buy it.