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Following up on the Break the Block session yesterday at #SiWC20 #siwcathome for those of us still within the warm afterglow of the conference.
The session focused on how to address creative decision making, the spectre of & #39;writers block& #39;, and adaptive processes for writers 1/
The session focused on how to address creative decision making, the spectre of & #39;writers block& #39;, and adaptive processes for writers 1/
Two quotes:
@carmenmmachado: "I believe so strongly that writers need to read, and that reading is the way you can prevent writer’s block or get over writer’s block. You can’t keep writing if you’re not filling your gas tank with whatever you want to read."
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@carmenmmachado: "I believe so strongly that writers need to read, and that reading is the way you can prevent writer’s block or get over writer’s block. You can’t keep writing if you’re not filling your gas tank with whatever you want to read."
2/
. #ToniMorrison : I disavow that term. There are times when you don’t know what you’re doing or when you don’t have access to the language or the event. So if you’re sensitive, you can’t do it. When I wrote Beloved, I thought about it for three years. I started writing... 3/
... the manuscript after thinking about it, and getting to know the people and getting over the fear of entering that arena, and it took me three more years to write it. But those other three years I was still at work, though I hadn’t put a word down." 4/
Both of those quotes, their context, and other quotes from authors on their battles with writers block can be found here: https://lithub.com/is-it-real-25-famous-writers-on-writers-block/">https://lithub.com/is-it-rea...
From there we introduced the Oblique Strategies deck as an example of a tool to be used to address moments of uncertainty within the writing process. Session attendees discussed their blocks and uncertainties with their manuscripts or their process generally. 6/
Lots of questions about 1st person vs 3rd person, & #39;should i write a trilogy first& #39;, how do I believably generate conflict between characters, should i start a memoir, what is the correct order of scenes, and many others. 7/
Attendees of the session showed a lot of courage with their vulnerability by discussing their work openly. It& #39;s important to acknowledge that strength. 8/
Here are a few examples of cards that appeared during the session that addressed various situations that attendees brought forward:
Honour they error as hidden intention
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Honour they error as hidden intention
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Make a sudden, destructive unpredictable action, incorporate
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The most important thing is the thing most easily forgotten
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Do nothing for as long as possible
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Just some of the many cards drawn. It was a great session, full of really interesting discussions, and I think that we helped to provide some new ways of seeing through the challenges of uncertainty to new opportunities for experimentation and play. 15/
Thanks as always to @SiWCtweets for allowing us the space to experiment with this session and for allowing me the space to bring the deck and try this stuff out. I think that it was a success! See you at #SiWC21
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