support :: writer's software faq

support > overcoming writer's block

(Or, how to get over this hump — faced by newbie and pros alike)

I. It's only a hump — don't worry!

Every newbie writer with that writing talent in their genes faces this problem, as do the most accomplished of writers and book authors. This is the condition known as "writer's block". The best of college and online degrees earned by you after a lot of effort cannot help you in the moments when you are facing this condition: you have to go through it every so often, like the rest of us. It's the period of time when you are staring at the blank page before you — or these days, the blank word-processor screen before you — and do not know what to write! Words simply do not form in your mind. It is as if, your fount of inspiration and ideas suddenly stopped bursting forth.

The best part of it is — it is a temporary condition. Initially, especially if you are just beginning on the road towards literary glory, it may take longer to overcome. With practice, you become alert at the very onset of this condition, and can take necessary measures to overcome it. So, keep this in mind — it is only a hump on the way!

II. Ways to overcome the block

Us writers have wrestled with the problem since ages (wisdom getting cumulated, you see!), and have identified ways and means to overcome this problem. So, here we go… (before the block grips yours truly!).

• First and foremost, avoid self-criticism. Our own negative thoughts limit us in ways that we never knew were possible. The block is one of them. Ease up on that self-flagellation, I say! You are as good as the writer next door, perhaps even better.
• Do some physical exercise. Not anything strenuous. May be just a walk around the neighborhood. Or a short workout at the neighborhood gym. Remember to carry a small notepad and pen (or your PDA) along with you. When fresh, oxygenated blood begins gushing through your brain cells, who knows what flash of an idea might spring forth? You can immediately pause whatever you were doing, and write it down. Don't worry about the stares of those around you.
• Don't worry about beginning at the beginning of whatever it is that you are writing. Whatever thoughts come to the mind, write them down. Your jottings then become what are known as an "outline" or "framework". It is the outline around which your content can be built up by you — brick-word by brick-word. (There! I have already coined a new word for you.) This is especially a must for authors of books. Any author worth their salt would face the ignominy of finishing their book in twice or thrice the time, if they do not adopt this technique upfront.
• Identify the times, the situations, the climes, the ambience, when you feel the most flow of ideas on whatever subject you are writing. Some writers find themselves getting in "the rhythm", or "the flow", when they sit at a particular table, at a particular time. Others find the force with them when the air is filled with a particular fragrance. You have to simply do some trial and error to see if there is something that gets you going. You may also discover that you are "always on", and don't need any special props such as these. That too, is okay.

These are just a few. But you get the idea.

III. How technology works

Chrysanth NETime Author is the next generation software for writing that aids authors and writers of all hues to generate some great work. In fact, it is a classic example of how technology can come to aid of what is truly a creative and purely non-mechanical endeavor. This writing software can be installed on a regular PC, as well as on a laptop. For writers and book authors who are about to take their first tentative, hesitant steps towards the awards' podium, the writing software offers a host of features that actually helps in getting over this writer's block. In fact, if you exploit it properly, the block is one condition that can be reduced to a great extent, if not totally eliminated.

How is that possible? For your information, this article has been generated through the Chrysanth NETime Author. To start with, if you have been commissioned to write on some subject, then the writing software gives you a facility to organize your tasks — from the first discussion, right through to the final payment. Perhaps you have a series of sittings with some person(s) to collect material for your work? Or, perhaps you and your hirer have mutually decided on some deliverables? Well, the "My Tasks" pane is where you can organize it. Its usefulness is even further justified when you are managing more than one assignment simultaneously (lucky you!). There — every of your to-dos are laid out neatly. So there is no clash of schedules and timings and budgets.

Another great feature that the writer's software has is a facility to generate your framework — of the kind we discussed earlier. The "My Articles" pane has sections that really no writer can do without. All random thoughts can be jotted down in the "Notes" section. Let the ideas flow — uninhibited. Don't worry about their quality, either; if you think a particular idea has even an iota of relevance to the subject at hand — note it here. Later, when you are working on the first rough draft — and there is a separate section for this, too — you can play around with the ideas, expand them, delete them, move them in the beginning or bring them in the middle or at the end. If you are a diarist-oriented personality, you can put in your notings on a daily basis in here.

Are you collecting material for a tome or a fully-researched book? A great "Media Library" allows all the digital material that you could think of in today's world to be collected for working on a writing project to be collated and arranged logically. So this could include file attachments, hyperlinks, audio and video.

Perhaps there is some picture or a scene relevant to your writing that you have come across. A separate section on "My Pictures" allows you to put all your photos efficiently. You can pull the snap in the writing software. Even looking at your pictures can help generate ideas — the fount will begin flowing once again!

top