Karl Albrecht
Most of my work has been non-fiction so far, and I think my approach to writer's block (maybe a term that should never have been invented) is probably different from that of fiction writers.
I find that I experience fewer blockages when I have the content well mapped out and know what I'm trying to convey. When I'm starting a book, I don't write a word until I have a detailed design of the chapters and sections displayed on my wall, as a "tree" of index cards. I take whatever time is needed to get to a design that works for the project I have in mind.
When I sit down to write, I find it easier to get started when I'm mentally engaged with the material - I know what the next "chunk" of prose has to be, and I have a lead in mind that I like. I tend to treat each section of each chapter as if it could be a stand-alone article, suitable for publishing somewhere else. At the same time, the language needs to keep it stitched in to the overall flow of the chapter and the whole book.
If I'm not sure of the treatment for a section, or a chapter, I typically take a sheet of paper and "mind map" it, itemizing the elements of content and figuring out the connections and the sequence that moves it along. Then I start scratching my head for a grabby lead - maybe an anecdote or a story; maybe a catch question; maybe a provocative declaration; maybe a startling "factoid" or factual premise - that kind of thing. Once I have a lead that I like, then I can just follow it up with the preferred sequence of ideas.
One thing I do NOT do - although I recognize that many good writers do - is just dump a lot of "stuff" out onto the page and hope I can massage it into something that works. I do not write non-fiction as a stream of consciousness. I write to a well thought-out design, and I write finished copy (or nearly finished). Using a design strategy, I find I very seldom have to trash large chunks of text.
This works for me - your mileage may differ.
I find that I experience fewer blockages when I have the content well mapped out and know what I'm trying to convey. When I'm starting a book, I don't write a word until I have a detailed design of the chapters and sections displayed on my wall, as a "tree" of index cards. I take whatever time is needed to get to a design that works for the project I have in mind.
When I sit down to write, I find it easier to get started when I'm mentally engaged with the material - I know what the next "chunk" of prose has to be, and I have a lead in mind that I like. I tend to treat each section of each chapter as if it could be a stand-alone article, suitable for publishing somewhere else. At the same time, the language needs to keep it stitched in to the overall flow of the chapter and the whole book.
If I'm not sure of the treatment for a section, or a chapter, I typically take a sheet of paper and "mind map" it, itemizing the elements of content and figuring out the connections and the sequence that moves it along. Then I start scratching my head for a grabby lead - maybe an anecdote or a story; maybe a catch question; maybe a provocative declaration; maybe a startling "factoid" or factual premise - that kind of thing. Once I have a lead that I like, then I can just follow it up with the preferred sequence of ideas.
One thing I do NOT do - although I recognize that many good writers do - is just dump a lot of "stuff" out onto the page and hope I can massage it into something that works. I do not write non-fiction as a stream of consciousness. I write to a well thought-out design, and I write finished copy (or nearly finished). Using a design strategy, I find I very seldom have to trash large chunks of text.
This works for me - your mileage may differ.
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