Outwitting Writer’s Block

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 to:

* 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." .

Review by Rachel Newcombe (260104) Rating (9/10)

Review by Rachel Newcombe
Every writer dreads coming down with a bad case of writer’s block. It plays havoc with normal writing routines, and can cause stress, sleepless nights and worry. The good news is - there is a cure!

Get yourself a copy of Outwitting Writer’s Block and Other Problems of the Pen, by Jenna Glatzer. The book deals with the pesky issue of writer’s block in a new light, from offering insight into what it is and why it occurs, to examining ways of tackling it and getting back to the all-important act of writing.

Jenna uncovers the common myths, such as the idea that you should write every day, isolate yourself and write about what you know, turning them on their head and suggesting new ways of creating your own rules and getting back to writing.
Unlike other similar titles, the author writes with humour, adding a much-needed lighter touch to topics that can sometimes seem mundane.

Interspersed throughout the text are prompts and exercises to do but, again, not the types that you may have encountered before in other publications. These exercises are all fun and inspirational, presenting new ideas and methods... you may even find yourself wanting to do them whether you’re blocked or not!

Jenna’s style of writing is, as always, fantastic. The book is friendly, down-to-earth, funny and insightful. She communicates her ideas clearly and concisely, yet with a constantly witty edge, making readers feel like she’s personally chatting to them. I loved the concept of the “ugly notebook” - Jenna believes that the prettier your notebook is, the more pressured you’ll feel to fill it with great, important things, which certainly rings true for me.

Overall, it’s an excellent book on an important topic. Everyone (whether they admit it or not) gets days when it’s hard to put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, and this is a great antidote to a frustrating problem. Not only will you feel like Outwitting Writer’s Block was written for you, it’s one book you’ll want to keep and treasure (not lend around) and refer back to if future crisis points arise.
Rachel Newcombe (26th January 2004)

Rachel Newcombe -- Writer / Editor / Researcher
Email: rachel(at)newcombe.co.uk
Website: http://www.newcombe.co.uk/media