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Outwitting Writers' Block: And Other Problems of the Pen
 
 
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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...)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Outwitting Writers' Block: And Other Problems of the Pen + The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear + Writing from the Inside Out: Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within
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  • This item: Outwitting Writers' Block: And Other Problems of the Pen by Jenna Glatzer

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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: #409,710 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Jenna Glatzer
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Jenna Glatzer Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
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 the most inopportune times. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ugly notebook, weekly objectives
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Outwitting Writers Block, Chicken Soup, New York, Madame Dazzling, Wally Lamb
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Outwitting Writers' Block: And Other Problems of the Pen
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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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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
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.
----------------------------
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. ...

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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!
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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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Blank Page
The heroine waits for you to guide her through the perilous, emotionally charged journey upon which you have started her. Nothing! Absolutely nothing comes to mind. Read more
Published on September 7, 2004 by The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

5.0 out of 5 stars Busting the Bane of Writer's Block
Glatzer's entertaining writing style not only pokes fun at the dreaded "writer's block," but offers advice on other writing topics such as: how to find ideas, how to... Read more
Published on January 16, 2004 by Chris Ochadlick

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best guides I've seen
I'm buying a copy for each of my clients for Christmas. It helped me break out of the block, so I know first hand that this is a gem to share! Read more
Published on November 19, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Great BOOK and a Great INTERVIEW
If you've ever found yourself staring at a blank page all day, or doing mundane chores over again just to avoid that lost feeling, then you've experienced writer's block. Read more
Published on November 19, 2003 by Randy Gilbert

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb nuts n' bolts book
I gave myself two days to read through Jenna Glatzer's "Outwitting Writer's Block" and found myself on the last page within a few hours. Read more
Published on November 16, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars WISE & WITTY!
The author demystifies writer's block as a natural, manageable part of the writing life. She explores why it happens, allowing her readers to gain control over the process &... Read more
Published on November 14, 2003 by Sami Swan Thompson

4.0 out of 5 stars Write what you must...
A light-hearted look at writer's block. There's some solid advice here, although none of it is really *new. Read more
Published on November 9, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Writer's Block Has Never Been Such Fun
Blame the pen! That's why we get stuck in a writing rut. Oh, computers? OK, then, blame the broken keys on the keyboard! Meet the enemy and the enemy is us. Read more
Published on October 18, 2003 by Meryl K. Evans

5.0 out of 5 stars This will knock your block off
Jenna Glatzers gem of a book is packed with good stuff, from reasons why you may be blocked in the first place, to tricks, techniques and sleight-of-word methods for outwitting... Read more
Published on October 14, 2003 by Gaie Sebold

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes - it *will* outwit writer's block!
Every writer dreads coming down with a bad case of writer's block. It plays havoc with normal writing routines, and can cause stress, sleepless nights and worry. Read more
Published on October 14, 2003 by Rachel Newcombe

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