Ask the Author: Merida Johns
Answered Questions (3)
Merida Johns
There are myriad definitions of writer’s block, but Merriam-Webster probably has it right—a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece. I think we all have experienced writer’s block one time or another that invokes irritation, frustration, exasperation, and even conjures up an inner critic who is ready to heap tons of self-blame on us.
When I get writer’s block, I see it as an opportunity to clear my mind, and I push that frustration and inner critic to the side and take a minute. Writer’s block is my brain telling me it is overloaded—it needs a rest; it needs a small retreat. I call it the mindful minute. The mindful minute can take various forms. Sometimes it is just sitting, taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, and being with myself and just listening! Listening to the sounds around me, being curious about them, and not judging whether they are good or bad. When extraneous thoughts come to mind, I acknowledge them and then gently push them away and go back to listening. Other times, it is sitting, taking a breath, closing my eyes, and focusing on my emotions.
So, when I hit a writer’s block, I look at it as an opportunity to recharge my creativity. I take a mindful minute (or maybe two or three). Afterward, I write down my feelings about the experience in my writer’s journal. My creativity is awakened and its flow breaks through the writer’s block. Here are examples of my “in the minute” journal entries:
9/13/2020: In the minute listening: Although I cannot see them, I can hear and visualize the piano keys in deliberate slowness moving up and down, producing the clearest of sounds. What beat is that, I ask? Whole notes, half notes? What does it feel like to be a piano key moving in that purposeful order?
9/14/2020: In the minute smiling: Feel what happens when you smile: I smiled, and tranquility came over me, and I felt I as if I were floating on air. I felt at peace. I felt that nothing else mattered except being in this moment of calm.
When I get writer’s block, I see it as an opportunity to clear my mind, and I push that frustration and inner critic to the side and take a minute. Writer’s block is my brain telling me it is overloaded—it needs a rest; it needs a small retreat. I call it the mindful minute. The mindful minute can take various forms. Sometimes it is just sitting, taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, and being with myself and just listening! Listening to the sounds around me, being curious about them, and not judging whether they are good or bad. When extraneous thoughts come to mind, I acknowledge them and then gently push them away and go back to listening. Other times, it is sitting, taking a breath, closing my eyes, and focusing on my emotions.
So, when I hit a writer’s block, I look at it as an opportunity to recharge my creativity. I take a mindful minute (or maybe two or three). Afterward, I write down my feelings about the experience in my writer’s journal. My creativity is awakened and its flow breaks through the writer’s block. Here are examples of my “in the minute” journal entries:
9/13/2020: In the minute listening: Although I cannot see them, I can hear and visualize the piano keys in deliberate slowness moving up and down, producing the clearest of sounds. What beat is that, I ask? Whole notes, half notes? What does it feel like to be a piano key moving in that purposeful order?
9/14/2020: In the minute smiling: Feel what happens when you smile: I smiled, and tranquility came over me, and I felt I as if I were floating on air. I felt at peace. I felt that nothing else mattered except being in this moment of calm.
Merida Johns
When I started writing fiction, I took two pieces of advice before pounding the keyboard—write about what you know and know what you write. Blackhorse Road blossoms from my imagination but is influenced by my experience and observations--that's writing about what I know.
But my fiction is enriched by the backstories that set the context for the characters and events in the story—historical incidents, politics, economics, philosophy, religion, and psychology that influence the values of the characters and ultimately the consequences of their actions. I uncover these backstories from usual fact-checking and readily available historical references to know about what I write. The sources that I like best to enhance the palette of my stories are diaries and letters. These provide a personal perspective to the context that help form a relationship with the reader--that's knowing about what I write.
But my fiction is enriched by the backstories that set the context for the characters and events in the story—historical incidents, politics, economics, philosophy, religion, and psychology that influence the values of the characters and ultimately the consequences of their actions. I uncover these backstories from usual fact-checking and readily available historical references to know about what I write. The sources that I like best to enhance the palette of my stories are diaries and letters. These provide a personal perspective to the context that help form a relationship with the reader--that's knowing about what I write.
Merida Johns
About a year ago, I was on a conference call discussing concepts of what makes a fulfilling life with fellow life coaches. Bang! Like a thunderclap, I had an insight. What would it be like to help people understand the concepts of a flourishing life in a story instead of through a motivational book or text? After all, I thought, storytelling has been the most compelling form of communication for thousands of years. As far as I could recall, none of the great Profits fed up learning objectives and multiple-choice questions to their followers. No! They got their message across through stories.
Motivational books and textbooks give frameworks, theories, and ideas, but they don't immerse us in the human experience. They don't show us how others face challenges, embrace their passions, overcome sorrow, celebrate achievement, quash self-doubts, develop positive emotions and relationships, handle betrayal, or act on aspirations.
My new novel, 181 Blackhorse Road, to be released in early 2020, is a story of love, betrayal, loss, and forgiveness and immerses the reader in the human experience in a story about ordinary people, just like them.
Motivational books and textbooks give frameworks, theories, and ideas, but they don't immerse us in the human experience. They don't show us how others face challenges, embrace their passions, overcome sorrow, celebrate achievement, quash self-doubts, develop positive emotions and relationships, handle betrayal, or act on aspirations.
My new novel, 181 Blackhorse Road, to be released in early 2020, is a story of love, betrayal, loss, and forgiveness and immerses the reader in the human experience in a story about ordinary people, just like them.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more