| 1. Use Logic: Check for External
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| | TacticsSome of us work well only under
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| PressuresAre you under physical or
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| | pressure. You'll probably know if this
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| emotional stress? Is your diet lacking?
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| | applies to you by thinking back to how
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| Do you need more sleep, or more restful
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| | you handled homework, assignments and
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| sleep? Would a visit to the doctor be in
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| | exams at school. If you can produce when
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| order before you start beating yourself
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| | the pressure's on, then set yourself a
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| up about your inability to concentrate?2.
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| | deadline. Don't make that deadline too
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| Start brainstormingJot down all the
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| | unrealistic, though, or you may find that
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| possible plot permutations you can think
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| | you're setting yourself up for failure -
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| of. At first, these will be fairly
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| | again.8. Change the time and venueJ.K.
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| logical. Then, as you run out of options,
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| | Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book
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| you'll find that you start to come up
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| | in extended stints in a cafe (or so the
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| with more off-the- wall ideas. These
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| | story goes). Roald Dahl worked in a
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| might be just what you need to get you
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| | battered garden shed. Try changing the
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| going again.3. Ease into your
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| | venue or the time of your writing - from
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| writingStart your writing session with
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| | home to a library; from late evenings to
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| something that's 'easy' - a letter, a
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| | early morning; from the kitchen table to
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| shopping list, a recipe, a 'to do' list.
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| | a table in the corner of your bedroom.9.
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| Then move on to a brief session of free
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| | Meditate or go walkingSometimes it helps
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| writing. THEN go back to your story. You
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| | to get out in the fresh air, or to sit
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| may find, as others have in the past,
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| | quietly and move into a meditative state
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| that a half-hour session of writing in a
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| | and just let the ideas flow. Or not flow.
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| journal or diary is a good warm-up for a
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| | Perhaps what you need is to dissociate
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| writing session.4. Take some time outOnly
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| | yourself from the world for a while.10.
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| you know how much time this should be.
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| | KEEP walking... remember Forrest
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| Sometimes the subconscious simply needs
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| | Gump...Don't want to write any more at
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| time to work its magic. That might be a
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| | all? OK. Then walk away and keep walking.
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| day, a week or a month. Obey your
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| | Nobody said you have to write. Why write
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| instincts. You might think that the
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| | if it makes you miserable? It may ALWAYS
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| danger is you'll never get back to it.
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| | make you miserable. If that's the case,
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| Okay: perhaps that means you don't LIKE
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| | don't do it. It really is that
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| it enough to get back to it. Writing
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| | simple.Or...it may be making you
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| shouldn't be a penance. Find a job or a
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| | miserable NOW, but you loved it in the
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| hobby that you DO like.5. Revisit the
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| | past and you expect you will again. If
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| last few pagesGo back ten or twenty pages
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| | so, walk away just for a while. Give
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| and revise. You could even retype the
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| | yourself an extended break - and only go
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| last page completely, and see if that
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| | back to the keyboard when you just can't
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| releases new ideas.6. Use the tried and
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| | stay away any longer. That's the best
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| true 'carrot' trick. Reward
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| | cure there is for writer's block. (c)
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| yourself!Think of something you'd really,
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| | copyright Marg McAlister Marg McAlister
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| really like. (Of course, the family might
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| | has published magazine articles, short
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| object if you want to reward yourself for
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| | stories, books for children, ezines,
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| your diligence with a trip to Bali.) A
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| | promotional material, sales letters and
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| chocolate? A trip to see a movie? Dinner
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| | web content. She has written 5 distance
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| out? New clothes? Set yourself a task
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| | education courses on writing, and her
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| that is commensurate with the size of the
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| | online help for writers is popular all
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| reward - and DO IT.7. Pressure Cooker
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| | over the world.
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