What do writer’s block and the black plague have in common? Both have the ability to strike denial and fear without warning. The good news is that, unlike the black plague, no one has ever died from writer’s block. In fact, many have grown quite rich from promoting the latest and greatest theory on how to avoid it. Books have been written on the topic, entire conferences and retreats dwell on it, there are posters, cards, and yes, even a wine, called Writer’s Block.
So why am I bothering to tackle this overexposed issue? Because it happened to me. I was writing every day, so the denial factor was as big as Mount Rainier. And of course I had a shopping cart full of excuses as to why that’s all the time I had to write. (Pardon the over used clichés, couldn’t help myself). But 200 to 300 words a day was not getting my book finished.
Enter the Daily 2K, a term coined by my friend, Jacqui Sullivan. You might think that the magic is the word, “Daily.” Nope. I was already writing every day. Or you might believe that a target of 2,000 words per day would summon the muse. Wrong again. What worked for me was reporting my word count.
The wonderful Maeve Binchy once said, “Writing is a bit like going on a diet: You should either tell everyone or no one.”
So, in addition to emailing my friends my daily word count, I posted it on Facebook.
This may not work for everyone, but announcing your goals worked for me.
Good luck to all the writers out there, and have a great day creating stories. Pam Binder
