Tony Michalski's Master Key Coaching

Writer’s block is something that most amateur and even the most seasoned professionals will experience now and again, or at least in one way or another believe that this is what they are facing. The real truth if the matter is that writer’s block is essentially, at least in most cases, a catchy title for procrastination, often serving as something of an excuse to put of the more mundane assignments for any possible reason going.

Either way, writer’s block can be enormously frustrating and therefore the following is a brief look into ten realistic measures to help combat the problem, or at least lessen its impact.

1 – Triggers

This can take a little thought but has the potential to avoid a great deal of writer’s block before it has a chance to take hold. Consider the circumstances around the bout in question and assess exactly what could be the primary cause. Self doubt? Boredom? Perfectionism? Confusion? Needless to say, combating each trigger can be a difficult task, but acknowledging and considering them is in itself a hugely beneficial practice.

2 – Perspective

Most believe that because they are writers by nature or profession, writing should come easily to them without exception. If this is the case, exactly what is there to suggest that writers do not have off days and dry spells just like every other person in any profession? Accept that even the most seasoned professional cannot function flawlessly 24/7 and favor a realistic perspective over one that demands perfection.

3 – Independence

A difficult habit to master, but if the worth of the work produced is allowed to be judged entirely by others, it is all too difficult to continually shift focus on what is needed for a successful piece – resulting in delays and confusion. Learn to judge pages independently and set personal standard without bringing others into consideration.

4 – Process

Think carefully about the writing process in terms of how personal moods and feelings affect writing encounters, what may have been done deliberately to avoid the task and why, what would make the task a more pleasant one and ultimately if the procrastination/avoidance is really worth it. The answer will of course be no.

5 – Time

Starting is by far the hardest part of any piece, but the simple fact of the matter is that it is also the most important. Set out a writing plan in advance and allocate a set period of time that will be used for this and ONLY this. If the beginning is to be a tricky one, allocate extra time and be excessive if it helps. Either way, begin and end at a set time to prevent the work spilling over and becoming all consuming.

6 – Incentives

So simple yet so often overlooked, everybody works better if they have an incentive to look forward to in the near future. Of course, rewards of fame and fortune may come with time, but do little to help a writer get through a painful afternoon. As such, an excellent idea it establish an incentive system where for every hour of work, perhaps ten minutes is dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. Some would argue this leads to lost focus, but the truth is it will actually refresh it and renew inspiration. You avoid a penalty by writing, and that is rewarding; C. You finish with less strain and more of a gain and that is rewarding.

7 – Expect Setbacks

While some projects can be completed from start to finish with staggering simplicity, most certainly cannot. Expect the odd delay and setback here and there so that when they do come about, they don’t seem like the end of the world.

8 – Eliminate “Can’t”

When it comes to writing, there really is no such thing as “can’t” but there is definitely such a thing as “won’t”. Needless to say, thinking something cannot be done leads to it not being done and essentially becoming impossible, which is never productive by any stretch of the imagination.

9 – Rewriting

Expect that every now and again a piece may need to be extensively altered of entirely rewritten. This not only allows time to be set aside should such prove necessary, but also takes the pressure away of assuming that each and every text must be 100% flawless every time.

10 – Writer’s Block?

Stop focusing on writer’s block and thinking about it every single time a delay or difficulty pops up. The truth is, if it hadn’t been given such a memorable title then most would refer to it as simply wasting time, which is by far a much more simple matter to address!

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About the Author

Christine is a freelance writer of both fiction and non-fiction (mainly in the areas of travel, property and personal finance). She has provided this brief guide to writer’s block on behalf of moving boxes and relocation specialists Upack.

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I’m a publisher. Some people who read my emails or read my blogs are surprised to discover that.

That, in turn, surprises me!

I publish books. The first book I published was, of course, Charles F. Haanel‘s The Master Key System. After
that and over the years, all of Charles F. Haanel’s books were published, I wrote a book (The Master Key Workbook), and new authors were published.

It’s been an exciting ten plus years!

The activities I do with the Master Key material — the coaching, the writing, the teleseminars — are done mainly as labor of love as well as support for a book and philosophy that has influenced my life tremendously.

You see, it was the Master Key System that truly showed me how to start with nothing but an idea and then take that idea and make it a reality.

Things went from idea to plans to actions to what Kallisti Publishing is today.

This article is aimed at the aspiring writers out there. I receive quite a few submissions from authors. While I always respect their efforts, I see the mistakes that many make. It’s my hope that my little article will help you.

Even if you’re not an aspiring writer, this article will help you with things like office correspondence, writing letters, and things like that.

Writing is difficult. It takes talent, learning, courage, persistence, fortitude … So many things that it almost seems to be an impossible task.

That’s why I respect writers and look to help them as much as I can — even if I am not publishing them.

Thus, this article is for you. From all the submissions I’ve received — from the good to the bad — here are some of the most common mistakes that I’ve seen (and read!) that writers and aspiring authors make. If you’re writing something, keep these in mind. Your work will be better for it.

(1) The “I”s Don’t Have It

One of the first things I tell authors who submit their work is this: eliminate about 80% of the “I”s.

Many self-help and personal development books are written in the first person. That’s fine. Writing in the first
person doesn’t excuse you for turning your book into an ”I”-fest, though.

As a writer, you have to learn how to engage your reader and draw him into your world. Using “I” ad nauseum doesn’t do that.

Remove the “I”s and somehow and someway relate your subject to your reader. To learn how to do this, read autobiographies and self-help books where the authors successfully do this.

Short of that, just go through your manuscript and delete as many “I”s as you can.

(2) Including Everything and the Kitchen Sink

When an author writes, especially if it’s their first book, they tend to feel the need to include every bit of knowledge in their book. Thus, the book morphs into a tome of almost epic proportions.

I call this “kitchen sinking” the book.

With a book — especially in today’s market — you should pick a topic, write about it and only it, and then let it go. The key is to stay on target!

Yes, I know that you can add so much more to it. I know that you have much more information that you want to share.

But you know what? That can always be put into your second book.

(3) Writing Is Easy; It’s the Editing That’s Hard

Sitting down and writing is pretty straight-forward. You have your outline; you fill in the blanks; and you let your fingers do the “talking.”

The most important step, though, is often skipped: the editing!

Editing is not only looking for typos and grammatical errors. You’re looking to trim the fat, change wording, move sentences and paragraphs and sections, and anything else that will improve your work.

Editing is the hard part. You have to look at what you wrote and judge it as objectively as possible.

In general, you’ll spend much more time editing than you will actually writing. That is, if you actually want to write something that’s good.

Edit! Edit! Edit!

That’s all for now. Keep these in mind as you work on your future bestseller. Of course, if you have any questions, please zap me an email. Or, if you’d like to submit your work for consideration, then please visit http://www.kallistipublishing.com/manuscript-submission/.

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