Freelancing for Pleasure and Profit

Name me one writer who hasn’t battled writer’s block. I’ll bet you can’t. It’s inevitable. Even the most prolific writers have rare occasions where the words won’t fit the meaning, or worse yet—the meaning hasn’t even come into play. The page is blank and the mind even blanker. What’s a writer to do when faced with this dilemma? 

When stricken with this particular plague, victims routinely throw their hands up into the air, bringing them back down to profoundly pound their confused heads. Writer’s block can strike anyone. Sufferers exhibit symptoms of profuse disorientation, agitation, and extreme displeasure.

When included amidst the throngs of diagnosed writers, I am armed with a battle plan—tactics are deployed immediately, and within an hour or two my war against this monster is won. My initial action includes walking away from said piece of writing—at a rapid pace. A change in scenery helps to clear the afflicted mind, and tricks creative juices into once again flowing freely. I then retreat to a quiet thinking spot, and begin my favorite pastime—next to writing, that is. I read. I arm myself with pleasurable and well-written reading material and bask in the delights of other’s written words. Finally, I carry my book with me into the kitchen, careful not to attract too much attention. I slowly open the freezer door. Then I dig. My squelched desire to enter the field of archeology is awakened as I remove packages of freezer-burned pizza, dig beyond last August’s clearance sale on frozen peas, and unearth my hidden treasure—a pint of triple fudge gourmet ice cream. It’s all mine! The sinful delicacy tight within my grip, I steal away to my private corner of the world and secretly indulge.  Words begin appearing in my head like stars in the night sky. I return my book to the stack of “must be read” items, and situate myself in front of the computer again.

I write. I revel in the sentences as they pour forth. And I treasure the knowledge of my coveted three-part battle plan against the writer’s enemy.

If my covetous foray into the freezer doesn’t work for you, and reading other’s words doesn’t spark your creativity, it’s time to employ the old “write what you know,” tactic.

Write what you know. Just what do you know? And how does it apply to breaking writer’s block? The following examples should help explain the process. I’ll use myself as a guinea pig.

1. What do I (you) know? I’m a mother of five, wife of a business owner, was a caretaker of my elderly mother-in-law for six years, and I homeschool two of my children. I buy and sell antiques, love to collect old jars, and am passionate about traveling. I spend several weeks each winter in our condo in Florida (writing), and we visit many educational spots in between there and our home in the frigid Northeast. My (your) list can go on and on simply based on everyday actions and life situations.

1. How does this equate with writing what I know? That part requires just a little bit of creativity. As a parent I can query parenting publications. Five children equals a large family these days. “Feeding Five Kids on Fifty Dollars a Week,” or “Staying Sane in a Family of Seven” are possible topics that come to mind. As a homeschooler, I am qualified to write for homeschool or educational publications. “Homeschooling High School Students,” and “SAT Prep for Homeschoolers” are two actual titles in working on at the moment. Are you following the pattern here? My travels prompt titles like “Free Finds en Route to Florida,” and “Car School: How to Homeschool While On the Road.” As the wife of a business owner I’ve written “Forty Hours with Your Spouse—Before 5PM.” Apply these same methods to your own list of what you know and see what you can come up with.

1. The third and final component to using “write what you know” for breaking writer’s block is so incredibly simple. Once you’ve applied your “what you knows” with your “what you can write abouts,” you’ll have engaged the creative side of your brain in a way it isn’t frequently exercised. Try going back to your original piece, and proceed with a new perspective.

Whether you’ve authored a bestseller, published articles in top ten glossies or written opinion pieces for your town’s daily newspaper, you will undoubtedly experience bouts of writer’s block from time to time. If you’re like me the bouts won’t come often, but when they do they hit hard and stay for a visit. Don’t welcome them in like a visit from an old friend. Instead treat them like the proverbial unwanted houseguest from hell. Work around them. Keep busy. Treat yourself to something indulgent. Then proceed as usual. The houseguest will get the hint—and either leave or simply die from neglect—hence the demise of writer’s block.

Happy writing!

Kimberly Ripley is a freelance writer and published author. Freelancing for Pleasure and Profit will appear twice monthly at Books.Gather.com. View Kim's recent publications at kimberlyripley.writergazette.com.