Home
>
Writing
>
Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing

Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing

Writer's block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits that at least 30 times a day when writing his humor column, he gets up from his computer to sip his Pepsi to divert his attention when he can't think of what to write. Recently, he reached for the cola and instead found a coiled snake. He tried barbecue tongs to carry it away, but when it landed in his pool, he kept the dance going trying to catch the thing.

As a writer you may think you are blocked because you think your book may not be significant enough, you don't know how to format it, or since you aren't famous, your book won't sell. Or, like Dave you can't think of something great to say.

Let the book coach encourage you beyond your doubts. Know that your book is unique and offers useful solutions to help your audience solve their challenge or problem. You don't have to write like others, and yes, you can write a saleable book.

What is Writer's Block?

To me it's just that I'm distracted and don't seem organized enough with what's important to write for my particular audience. It's a signal that my brain won't focus temporarily. Like Dave Berry, I need a break.

To some of you, it's like stepping off a cliff and plunging into the abyss. You don't have all the answers to start, so it becomes overwhelming to even put words to paper..

Why do we have Writer's Block?

1. We have too many ideas/ choices. We need to focus on one thing at a time. Write down 3-4 topics you are passionate about. Take some deep breaths, and let the #1 come forth. Write on one book primarily, and just put new ideas into the others' folder. Stay with your #1 book until you finish it. When we don't finish a project, we feel guilty--and hence more stuck!

2. Fear. Really, "False Evidence Appearing Real." Our performance anxiety keeps us from taking that next step. However, we can get direction and skills from a how-to book on writing or a qualified book coach if we are willing.

3. We don't have enough information to move forward to write a clear, compelling book. Perhaps we aren't sure of how to publish our book. Or, we don't know how to put a chapter together. Book writing information is easily available from the Internet. Do a search on "book coaching" and find helpful resources.

4. It seems an enormous task in time and money. What most emerging authors don't realize is that they don't have to write the "end all, be all" book. Just choose one focus such as solving one problem or writing for only one preferred audience per book. Targeted audiences are much easier to sell to.

How to Get Unstuck

1. Warm up! Writers need to relax, get into alpha state each time before they write. So take deep belly breaths for 1-2 minutes first. Another way to set up your book writing success is to listen to relaxing music before you set out to write. You may even warm up by handwriting something before you commit it to your computer.

2. Got the blank page blues? Write a little the day before-then you have a partial page to hook new related, information onto. I wrote this article in two sittings because I didn't like my old introduction.

3. Switch tasks, but honor a time set aside for writing each day. If you are stuck in #1 book, add research stories, or how to's to the #2 book. If stuck on one chapter, start or work on another one.

4. Organize your book, both on your computer and in paper files. For your book, name it and save as the main folder. Add new files to this folder such as
- The introduction
- Chapter One and the rest
- Table of Contents with Chapter Titles
- The back cover, sales letter, or 30-60 Second Tell and Sell (sales message).

5. Start a promotion folder too. Name one folder "traditional" and another one "online." Start adding files of promotion information as it comes to you.

Then, when your book is almost finished, you'll have your promotion foundation ready to hit the ground running for fast, continuous sales that keep your cash flow going.

6. Love your topic. When you have passion for your book, you won't have many blocks. You'll be excited to sit down and spend special time each week on it. You may want to work daily like I do. When you do one "high level" activity a day on your book, you will finish before you know it and you will feel exhilarated and satisfied at your results.

Remember a page a day yields 365 pages a year. Think about a shorter book of only 25-50 pages you can deliver as an eBook or print book. You can finish one in less than a month!

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml

top rated cleaning service Winnetka ...

In The News:

Uber teen accounts now feature live video streaming from the driver's camera, but encrypted recordings stay on Uber's servers for up to 14 days.

Router firewalls and software firewalls serve different roles in protecting your home Wi-Fi from unwanted traffic and suspicious connections.

A Chrome extension with 70,000 users and a 4.7-star rating began injecting fake update warnings after a threat actor acquired and weaponized it.

Amazon's Alexa+ rolls out free to Fire TV devices across the U.S., but hands-free microphones and stored voice data raise key privacy questions.

Meta's new teen accounts settlement sets a default two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, plus night mode and school mode restrictions.

The CareCloud data breach exposed Social Security numbers, banking information and medical records belonging to more than 3.75 million people.

Waymo reveals its custom 5-nanometer chip and dual computing systems designed to take over instantly if the robotaxi's primary computer fails.

Identity theft now includes account takeover, phone hijacking and payment card exposure. Here's what to look for in identity theft protection services.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The FBI and Justice Department seized domains tied to QScan and QTRouter, tools allegedly used by China-linked hackers to breach NASA and other agencies.

Uber Eats drone delivery launches later this year through a Zipline partnership, starting in Dallas and Houston with a goal of one million daily flights.

Medicare Open Enrollment scams start with data broker targeting months before October. Learn why August is the time to remove your personal info.

The World Humanoid Robot Games' crashes show how far the technology still needs to go to be useful, "Survivor" reality TV star and robotics scientist Christian Hubicki says.

X-Humanoid's TianGong Ultra ran 100 meters in 9.32 seconds at Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games, beating last year's winner by more than half.

A tap-to-pay charity scam is turning small $15 or $20 donations into charges of nearly $5,000, with victims losing thousands before they notice.

Kurt Knutsson shares seven emergency preparedness lessons from surviving Hurricane Katrina inside a New Orleans hotel as conditions turned desperate.

A contractor stored credentials in a Google Doc set to "Anyone with the link," and Google Search autocomplete eventually surfaced the password string.

New Orleans 911 uses Carbyne AI to triage repeat auto crash calls, but strict limits keep human call-takers in control of all other emergencies.

A single card skimmer can generate $1 million in stolen funds, and Secret Service video shows criminals installing them in under two seconds.

ChatGPT, Meta AI and Google now use memory, connected apps and past chats to personalize ads and responses in ways most users overlook today.

MagicalAuth by Glide.id uses cryptographic SIM credentials to verify bank logins without sending SMS OTP codes that scammers can intercept or phish.

A humanoid robot named Lightning Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, edging Usain Bolt's record.

An AI agent using Claude AI canceled another person's gym booking after finding a security flaw in the reservation system's authorization checks.

Trump signed a memorandum allowing vetted private U.S. companies to conduct cyber operations against foreign criminal organizations under oversight.

Your Social Security number appeared in a breach, but exposure and identity theft are not the same. Here's how identity restoration actually works.

Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing

Writing