Outwitting Writers' Block: And Other Problems of the Pen

by Jenna Glatzer

If you've ever found yourself staring at the blank page all day, or cleaning out the refrigerator for the fifth time in a week just to avoid seeing that taunting blinking cursor, then you've experienced writer's block.
The good news? It means you're a writer. It's not important that you have these times; what's important is how you deal with them. OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK will provide tricks of the trade to help any writer break through the dreaded block and become a more creative and better writer than before. Filled to the brim with exercises designed to jump-start creativity, encouraging tips from fellow writers and instructors, and tools for analyzing the causes and cures for the nefarious Blank Page syndrome, this book is like Drain-o for clogged creative pipes.
Glatzer tells writers how
* know when an idea isn't going to work, versus when it just needs a new approach;
* apply relaxation techniques to get back the nirvana of writing "in flow;"
* look at writing like any other job, with set hours and required levels of output;
* set up your writing space for optimal performance;
* tell if you've chosen the wrong form, and/or if it's time to pick a new genre or media;
* knock the editor off your shoulder;
* examine other causes--lifestyle changes, depression, stress, etc. that may need to be addressed;
* and more

OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK is a humorous, inspirational, practical guide for writers, college students, businesspeople, and those who would like to write as a means of therapy or "release."

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Jenna Glatzer is an award-winning full-time writer who's written 28 books and hundreds of articles.

Her main writing interests are biographies and memoirs, and she often writes about health and parenting. She also loves writing for children, as well as writing humor essays and personal essays.

She's Celine Dion's authorized biographer and the author of The Marilyn Monroe Treasures, authorized by Monroe's estate.

Visit her website at www.jennaglatzer.com.

Reviews

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Advice from a screenwriter and playwright on what to do when you find yourself staring at the dreaded blank page.

Review: This book is a good collection of practical ideas for when your writing life seems to be stuck in park. A lot of the tips you’ve probably heard before, but it’s nice to have them handy in one place.

I appreciated how the author included lots of quotes and advice from other authors on how they cope with a blank page. It’s also chock full of writing prompts, which always help to get your fingers out of the no-fly zone. For example:

"Write about a secret you accidentally didn’t keep."

The humor was a little on the goofy side, which I didn’t exactly love. Sometimes it felt like the lines were delivered with both a wink and a nudge. Still, a few lines got a chuckle out of me.

I’ll leave you with one of the tips I liked. It’s from the section about how to carve out writing time when you have a family who can’t seem to live without you for more than 5 minutes at a time:

"If you have an office in your home, find something to hang from the doorknob, such as a red scrunchie or a do-not-disturb doorknob hanger, to signify that you are inside and working."

[Katri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a very entertaining way, and containing lots of nice tips against writer's block. I like to pick this up when I hit a block - if nothing else I will at least be entertained, and usually I will also be encouraged enough to start writing again.

[Hannah Geene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a fairly good read, with tips that I actually knew from mostly working on my own.

That was good, anyway, since I didn't get this out so much for help with writer's block (I've figured out my own ways around that and even when those don't work I still have a few fail-safes) but more for something to read in general.

Just to warn some people; it's written slightly tongue-in-cheek in some parts with a witty but sarcastic sort of humor (or at least I guess that's what the author was going for) There's also nice sections of other published authors sharing their struggles and what they do (or sometimes lack of doing)

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of wide-ranging tips. The book is written in a funny and casual style - almost as if the author were sending you emails with ideas. I liked the tone, some may be put-off by it.

The tips run the gamut from the silly to the serious, and while none are a silver bullet (sorry, nothing is), simply reading them are fairly inspirational. Also there are a lot of good just plain old writing tips which I found to be worthwhile.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of this is dated and not applicable to me. However, it's not just all about writer's block, but about some of the other creative problems that plague writers.

I finished it and ordered a copy immediately. Lots of good reminders for me.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was humorous and helped me a lot. In fact, since I have read this book, I have not had writer's block.

[gramakri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read for both a newbie and an experienced writer.
More details @
http://bookwormsrecos.blogspot.in/200...

[Jennifer Worrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes her sense of humor is a little goofy, but the advice is vital. A good read overall.