The B Word and its Hidden Beauty . . .

The dreaded B word. Every creator of season knows its Siren-like beckoning. This term with all of its impenitent power is one that most of us want to avoid, and for good reason; I mean creating can be hard enough when we’re clear, (w)right? In The House of Long Shadows, our best selling novelist Meredith Hawthorne, finds herself in this predicament for the first time in her career, and with a deadline looming.

Creative blocks can be distressing, and they certainly aren’t unique to writers. But is there a common cause? Are blocks a bad thing? One or both answers may surprise you.

Let’s start with what a block is, and how we typically handle the challenge. 

Convention suggests that a block is any impediment to achieving our goal. In a world where we’ve become accustomed to instant answers and door-dash solutions, that makes sense, but only on a pedestrian level.

As authors, we may choose to restore the connection with an active approach, i.e. writing through it,  or, a passive strategy such as setting our manuscript aside for a period.

I’ve tried both techniques as well as others, and though I eventually emerged on the other side, story intact, I had no idea how I found myself blocked in the first place, and what I did to escape said obstacle. This revealed a susceptibility to future disruptions and of indeterminate length. A real problem if you’re writing towards a deadline.

The truth about the block.

It wasn’t until writing Meredith Hawthorne that I understood a block for what it actually is. A symptom of something within us that needs attention. This may be a byproduct of our journey with the characters, an interaction with their story; or something nebulous in the process that managed to uncover a wounding or existential moment that has to be addressed before we move forward.

In Meredith’s case she has unfinished business, and what readers discover (no spoilers) is that the creative force behind those three best-sellers has led to her to this precise moment, and for a grander purpose than she ever imagined; including her own healing. Therein lies the beauty of the block, and it’s a tragedy if we miss that.

The creation of anything can be a healing process, I know that I healed some while writing both,  The House of Long Shadows, and Town Lawe. It wasn’t anything I anticipated at the time but can see it clearly enough today to view blocks differently.

Road block to Speed bump

I now see blocks as speed bumps designed to slow us down and alert us to our surroundings. That seems more fitting and beneficial. Approaching a block in this way allows us a deeper dive into ourselves, and also opens a more personal connection with our characters. In some ways it’s the call for pause and reflection, just as in the Muses on Nostalgia, The Time Machine; and All Good Things. It’s a bit of a theme in these musings, but it deserves the keystrokes.

Today my take away on blocks is that self-examination and reconciliation are essential informers of creative endeavors, and incorporating that guidance into our writing process makes a great addition to the toolbox.

So the next time you find yourself in a creative wasteland, instead of staring at the wall that seems to be growing larger by the day, settle down and look inward for the door. believe me, it’s there.

I hope you found something useful for your writing or reading experiences. If so, please share it! Sign up for the mailing list here.

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Up next for May – Thick Skin.

Until then—

Happy words,

-Bruno