Bill Gourgey
I keep plenty of hand sanitizer, tissues, and other hygienics at my desk to avoid contracting that dreaded affliction in the first place. I hear it’s contagious!
The truth is I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block. I think that writer’s block happens when a writer’s self-expectations are set too high. I have lots of faults and foibles (don’t tell my family and friends!); luckily, setting my writing bar too high is not one. Whenever I sit down to write I know that I’m just as likely to write something crappy as good. The trick is not to despair when it’s crappy. As one writing teacher used to put it, “writers have to be prepared to kill their babies.” It’s an ugly image, and of course I rebelled against it at first, but her point was a good one and I write by it to this day—don’t become too attached to your words or run the risk of getting stuck.
The truth is I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block. I think that writer’s block happens when a writer’s self-expectations are set too high. I have lots of faults and foibles (don’t tell my family and friends!); luckily, setting my writing bar too high is not one. Whenever I sit down to write I know that I’m just as likely to write something crappy as good. The trick is not to despair when it’s crappy. As one writing teacher used to put it, “writers have to be prepared to kill their babies.” It’s an ugly image, and of course I rebelled against it at first, but her point was a good one and I write by it to this day—don’t become too attached to your words or run the risk of getting stuck.
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