Removing the Blocks to the Creative Writing Process

There are blocks to the creative writing process that can kill a story.

They are well known: fear of rejection, the impact of criticism, low self-confidence, lack of belief in one's self and abilities, difficulty with the details of the written piece, lack of inspiration, procrastination, loss of enthusiasm, and more.

They affect all writers, no matter what the genre; creative writing, news writing, technical writing, speech writing, etc. The great benefit of removing blocks to the writing process is of course, success.

This article tells five true stories of writers who overcame blocks in their writing process and were successful in attaining their goals. The writers are not famous, they are "everyday people".

The conclusion of this article introduces a means to get help with writing. A new mental self help program has been created specifically for writers to overcome common writer's blocks. The program can be a great part of anyone's strategy for successful writing.

But first, read the real stories of real people, how they overcame their writer's blocks, and how they might have done it more easily if they had the benefit of a mental self help program written especially for writers.

The Stories:

1. The Cost of Unused Skills: Richard and the Press Release
2. Beating the Challenge of Criticism: The Creative Writing Student and the Critic
3. Overcoming the Woes of Rejection: A Tale of Two Novelists
4. Using the Spark of Intuition: Sam, the Computer Programmer
5. The Importance of Being Self Confident: James and the Downhill Racer

---------------------------------------------------

Richard started an exciting on-line business.

He knew that one way to get attention and attract customers was to send out press releases. He did not consider himself a qualified press release writer and was daunted by the prospect of writing and submitting a "PR". He remembered taking a creative writing course, but did not see how that would apply to his situation.

He hired a PR firm.

He bought an expensive contract for six PRs. The firm asked for some details about his business, looked at his web site, and went to work. Shortly thereafter, they sent him a copy of their first press release.

James was disappointed. The PR was dull, inaccurate, and the name of his business was spelled incorrectly. After some discussion with the firm, he got some of the issues resolved, but he still felt the PR was lifeless.

The firm explained that this was the way a press release should be written to avoid the risk of making it seem too much like a "sales" piece and being ignored by recipients, or worse, annoying them.

They submitted the PR to several media outlets, but Richard got no results. This pattern continued throughout the length of the contract.

Richard discussed this with a friend who asked, "Didn't you take a course in press release writing in college?"

Richard realized he had forgotten about the course and replied, "Yes."

"What was your grade?"

"I got an A."

"Then why on earth did you HIRE a firm to do what you know how to do yourself? Who knows your business as well as you? Who better to describe and explain it? Who has more passion for it? You studied creative writing AND press release writing. I would think you are highly qualified to write your own press release!"

Richard thought about that. He wondered why he had no faith in himself or his writing. Why wasn't he using the skills he had learned in school?

Although Richard was insecure about his skills and abilities, he considered that the PR firm hadn't done very well, and he had nothing to lose by taking his friend's advice for help with writing his own press release.

He read some press releases on the Internet in different press release submission sites. He could not believe some of the stuff that was being published, and knew he could do a better job. He read all the rules and suggestions these sites posted for authors to help with writing a proper press release.

Encouraged, he wrote and submitted his own press release to several Internet PR submission sites.

One site not only accepted it, they scored it "5 out of 5". The other PR submission services also picked it up, and one invited him to submit more.

Not long after he had submitted his PRs, his e-mail box was full of invitations from other PR submission services. In those places where he could check readership of his PR, he received the good news that it was being read. Naturally, his Web site traffic increased.

He sent his press release to a local newspaper. The editor called him for an interview about his new business. The paper published an entire page about him and his business, including photographs. Naturally, his customer base grew.

Richard's block was that he had no belief in himself, so he did not use his skills.

He did not connect that press release writing is also creative writing. He didn't give himself a chance and paid an outside firm to do what he was better qualified to do himself. This was his cost for not using his skills.

He was lucky. His friend gave him good advice and encouragement, and this turned things around in his mind to remove his blocks to successful writing.

If Richard had used a mental self help program designed to help with writing by alleviating his fears about the writing process, he might have discovered this sooner, used his skills, and saved himself a great deal of frustration and money!

---------------------------------------------------

Jesse and Mike were among the students enrolled in a college creative writing class. The students were taught the writing process for poetry, haiku, essays, opinion pieces. The "big" term project was for each student to write a complete short story.

The class was small and each student was asked by the teacher to read his or her work before turning it in, to get feedback from the class.

Jesse was a critic. He never read any of his own work to the class, but spent a lot of time harshly criticizing the work of others.

In spite of complaints from the other students, the teacher said Jesse was "special" and allowed this inappropriate behavior, adding that writers needed to be able to take criticism.

Some students dropped the course, and others refused to read their work any more. The teacher gave them an "incomplete" on each assignment for failing to participate in the class.

Mike was among those who avoided reading his work because of Jesse's cutting remarks, and he found it very difficult to come up with new work to give to the teacher.

Whenever he looked at the blank page, all he could think of was how much Jesse would attack him, no matter what he wrote. He found this so overwhelming that he could not write anything at all.

Much of the class time was focused on the short story project and students were expected to read their work as it progressed.

Jesse did not have any work to read to the class and continued to berate the others. The teacher continued to allow this.

Mike was stalled and could not come up with a story. He felt intimidated by Jesse and dreaded going to the class. He could not come up with a strategy for successful writing in this situation and resigned himself to failure.

But one night, Mike had a fascinating dream, and when he awoke, he wrote it down. He really liked his dream idea; it captivated his imagination and inspired him. Suddenly, he didn't care about what Jesse would say. He "knew" his dream had given him help with writing, that he had a good story in the making and was so confident in it, he regained some of his heart and courage.

In class, he explained that he had the beginnings of a story but it was very rough, and read his work in progress.

As usual, Jesse "sailed into him". However, this time, the teacher intervened and silenced Jesse. He told Mike that he had the start of an excellent short story and encouraged him to finish it.

At the end of the term, the students, including Mike and Jesse turned in their stories and went their different ways.

When the grades were posted, Mike was surprised to discover he had received an "A" for the course.

Six months later, he met his creative writing teacher in the hall. The teacher said to him: "I was so impressed by your short story that I submitted it to the annual creative writing contest held by the Belles Lettres Literary Society. You won first prize for the best short story written by a college student. They are holding an award dinner."

Mike and his family attended the award dinner, and he was asked to read his story to the audience. He received a standing ovation and a certificate, and made contacts who invited him to send them more of his writing.

Mike's block was a very real person, Jesse, who was a constant source of unfair criticism. As a result, Mike was unable to write because he was blocked by fear.

Fortunately, Mike's imagination was so strong that it inspired him in the form of his dream, and his dream story was so fascinating that he felt compelled to write it down.

He was not the first author to write a successful story based on a dream. In the early 19th century, Mary Wollstonecraft (who was participating in a creative writing contest with Lord Byron and Percy Shelly - the poet laureate of England) did it and created the classic novel, "Frankenstein". She later married Percy Shelly and became the well known Mary Shelly!

Like Mary, Mike believed in his dream and it gave him the courage to write it as a story and present it, filled with all the passion and excitement he had dreamt.

We can't always count on a dream to bail us out in times of difficulty. If Mike had a mental self help program to manage the psychological impact of irrational criticism, things would have gone better for him from the outset and he might not have suffered so much for so long.

---------------------------------------------------

Stephanie had always wanted to write a great novel. Her friend, Lucy, also had aspirations of becoming a novelist and had even published a book that was receiving some attention. They decided to collaborate on a new venture, a mystery novel.

They each took on chapters and parts of the story, sending drafts to each other over the Internet. Each gave the other help with writing the chapters and characters. They wrote and wrote, polished and revised their work until 6 months later, they had completed an exciting mystery novel. They had great fun writing the novel. Nothing, other than the occasional server crash, blocked their creative writing process.

The next step was to get published, and that's where the blocks started appearing.

Stephanie looked on the Internet for publishers and discovered that it was a "tough road". Lucy already knew this, but didn't have a solution. Her other book had been published using more traditional means, but she did not want to go through the process again. They decided to try the Internet instead.

Together, they learned about the ins and outs of "vanity publishing" and how to submit a manuscript. They watched these things carefully for "scams" and what to avoid. Many publisher Web sites are highly persuasive and it appeared that "vanity publishing" might be a solution.

They agreed to submit their manuscript to a number of publishers, to find out the book's potential. After 6 months, they had a collection of rejection letters. Even those publishers who claimed they "never reject a manuscript" had made an exception in their case!

They read their novel over and over and could not find what was so "wrong" with it. They had thought it was a good work, but were beginning to believe that maybe it wasn't. After all, so many rejections, and no words of encouragement -- how could they have been so far off?

Stephanie did have one advantage. She had bought a mental self help program specifically designed for writers and the issues they face. It provided her with the encouragement and strength to continue pursuing the publication of their novel.

She read the rejection letters more carefully. Almost every one of them offered to "fix" their book and publish it, for a very high "editors" fee. She pointed this out to Lucy, and while they were furious at the publisher's trick, they determined to "beat the system".

They decided to try a different approach. They learned all about self-publishing, how to produce the book in e-book format, and even have it printed "on demand" for direct selling without going through a publisher. All they needed was a Web site to sell the book. They created their Web site, set up vendors, and sent out notices, press releases, and advertisements themselves.

A month later, the book started selling, and customers wrote glowing praise of the novel. It wasn't a "bad" work after all.

The authors had a block -- finding a way around a publishing system designed to make money for the publisher at the expense of the author. The technique these publishers used, called "bait and switch", is particularly demeaning to authors, as it erodes confidence in their work to lock them into an expensive editorial contract that, in many cases, can ruin the work itself.

At first, it worked on Stephanie and Lucy, and caused them to doubt the value of their work.

But Stephanie had the advantage of a mental self help program, and the sense to use it to free herself from the blocks the publishers were creating in her mind. As a result, she and Lucy developed a strategy for successful writing -- in this case for successful publishing -- that got them past the blocks and they found an appreciative and supportive audience.

---------------------------------------------------

Creative writing is a vast area, and it can include writing in a foreign language-- even a computer language!

In the 1980's most home computers ran the "BASIC" computer language, and users had to type their own programs into their machines. There were many magazines that published programs.

Sam was a great fan of the Commodore-64. There were three magazines devoted to this computer, one of which -- Commodore Computing -- was published by Commodore Computer itself. It had an international readership.

Sam wrote a small utility computer program for use on the Commodore-64. Although he did not feel he was a qualified technical writer, he really believed that his program would help computer users. So, in spite of his fears and blocks, he wrote an article about his program and all the "BASIC" code.

He thought about how many submissions the magazines received. He felt he needed more than a strategy for successful writing, he needed a strategy for successful presentation. He thought about it and was inspired with a clever way of presenting his article and program to the magazine editors. He wrote the article on colored paper that matched the color logo displayed on the Commodore-64!

Nervously, Sam submitted his article (and program) to three magazines. He was worried about rejection and derision. He didn't have to wait long.

One magazine replied with a letter of rejection. The editors chastised him saying that he had failed to follow their submission guidelines. They offered, for a fee, to advise him how to do a better job, but would not guarantee that they would publish his work.

Sam was upset by the letter, but the catch of having their editor, for a fee, fix his article actually made him feel better. He knew the magazine was pulling a scam. It wasn't about him or his work -- they were looking for some money.

A few weeks later, he got another letter from another magazine.

The second magazine editors wrote they found his submission unorthodox, but intriguing, and that they were considering publishing it. They would contact him with their decision at some later date.

Sam was heartened by the gentle "let down" of this letter. He knew that his clever idea of getting attention had worked, and though he knew well that "we'll contact you..." meant they would not contact him ever, he felt a bit more encouraged. At least, he was getting through.

Then came the letter that vindicated and validated him.

The third magazine to reply was Commodore Computing, the official magazine of Commodore Computer. The editor's letter said Sam's submission was excellent and it would be of great use to a Commodore-- or any -- computer user. They loved the presentation and how it honored the Commodore logo -- this had amused and touched them deeply. They wrote that they felt Commodore computer users were imaginative, creative people, and this presentation supported their belief.

Best of all, they included a publishing contract. All he had to do was sign it and they would publish his work and send him a check for $300!

A month later, his program was published in the "Best Programs of the Year" issue of Commodore Computing and reached an international audience.

Commodore Computer closed for business a few years later, and Sam moved on to the MAC and PC platforms. He never forgot the wonderful experience he had with Commodore Computer and he re-wrote his utility program for MAC and PC users.

Only this time, he didn't bother with magazines. He set up a Web site and is, to this day, successfully selling his program on the Internet. People send him e-mails thanking him for his work and the difference it has made in their computing experience.

Sam did not need any help in overcoming the blocks to his writing because his belief in himself was strong. He had the power of inspiration to drive him through the blocks.

His fears were somewhat justified because life does include rejection. But not all rejection is in indication of low worth. Sam held onto his belief in himself, and was validated by a large company that encouraged and supported him. The value of knowing self worth is beyond measure. Because of his own belief in himself, Sam was able to advance with technology and offer his program to help others. Everybody wins when good work is recognized and appreciated.

---------------------------------------------------

James developed a unique program he wanted to sell on the Internet through his Web site. He knew that writing copy for a Web site is similar to writing copy for a magazine or article -- it needs a focus and understanding of the audience and their needs.

The program James was offering had a lot of features and benefits for users, and he wanted to present as many details as possible on his Web pages so his customers had a good understanding of the product and what it would do for them. His strategy for successful writing was to inform his readers of the details.

He asked a few friends to give him some feedback. They read his Web pages and pointed out where they felt clarification was needed, and they tried his program. James made changes to the Web pages as necessary based on this feedback.

He created his Web site and posted it on the Internet. It got picked up quickly by the search engines and he had visitors but no customers. James began to doubt himself and his work, the value of his program, the value of his creative writing on his Web site. He figured he needed a new strategy for successful writing.

He discussed this with a consultant for help with writing effective Web copy. The consultant suggested that his Web site was too detailed and it would not help James sell his product, all he needed to do was give basic details of the product and no more -- run it like an ad.

James knew that people are in a hurry and considered this as potentially good advice. He wrote a new version of his Web pages, but kept his old version as a back up.

James was surprised by the results. His ranking in the search engines fell and he actually lost traffic. It was as if the Web site had become a "downhill racer". He soon discovered the source of the problem.

Earlier, he had submitted his web site to a few "web site award" services. By the time they saw it, they saw his new trimmed-down version.

They wrote: "The web site does not engage audience interest. It does not provide the visitor with enough information, other than you are selling a product. You need more meaningful content to be considered for an award." They offered to re-consider his submission once he changed the site.

In this case, rejection served a useful purpose. The rejection was honest and included an honest assessment of the value of what James had written. There was no hidden agenda.

James re-posted the original version of his Web site, and re-applied for the awards.

Within six weeks, he won two 5-star Web site awards, which gave him many back links and moved his site up in the search engines. His visitors increased and he started getting customers.

James had an unusual block in his creative writing process. Even though he had written a perfectly good web site, when he did not see results fast enough, he began to doubt himself and his work. He naturally looked outside himself for help.

While the help he received was well meaning, it did not properly address the goals of the Web site or the needs of its readers. It was based on a "cookie cutter" approach that is popular and works in some, but not all cases.

James was lucky. His rejection by the award sites taught him a valuable lesson because their criticism was constructive. It actually guided him back to his original approach, which was right all along. His own instincts and intuition were his best guides.

If James had used a mental self help program designed to help him maintain his self confidence and belief in himself and his work, he could have saved some time and frustration.

---------------------------------------------------

The stories in this article demonstrate how different writers managed blocks to their creative writing process, and in some cases their publishing process as well. In four of the five stories, the writers were lucky and received the guidance they needed by chance. But we cannot count on luck to pull us through a tough spot.

The writers who were "saved" by luck could have been much more effective if they had the advantage of using a mental self help program specifically designed for writers and the issues they face.

Many mental self help programs -- some self hypnosis programs, some subliminal message programs -- are available on different topics - shyness, self esteem, assertiveness and so on. They can help a writer in the creative writing process because they do counter the negative effects of experience and negative self talk.

There is, however a special mental self help program written specifically for writers that deals with their unique and special issues. Not surprisingly, it is a visual subliminal message program - how appropriate for a writer!

Power Writing DSPP is a visual subliminal message perception program that has been created specifically to help any aspiring writer.

It is much more than a blanket "self esteem" or "assertiveness training" mental self help program.

It focuses on the special needs of aspiring writers to help them manage unconscious thoughts and get free of blocks specific to the creative writing process. As a result of using this program, they feel excited and better about their work, with increased enthusiasm, creativity, inspiration and imagination. The blank page becomes an invitation to write!

It helps them increase their productivity, belief in themselves and conviction of their own talent, so they can not only write the stories within, but also have the strength and courage to present them to the public. It is ideal for any writer, no matter what their genre.

The doors of success only need the right key.

---------------------------------------------------