Writer's Traffic Jam

Recently I have had writer’s block and have had a hard time composing blogs.  By writer’s block, I really mean a traffic jam.

I mean I have plenty of ideas.  Plenty of thoughts running around in my head and some zooming and some lingering and some bouncing back and forth, but none that have become clear enough to write about.

This idea that I actually have TOO MANY thoughts to write struck me as interesting.  I used to think that students couldn’t write because they didn’t have much to say or didn’t know what to say or how to say it.   It never occurred to me that they had SO much to say they didn’t know how to say it.

This recent traffic jam block that I have had has made me realize that writers (including our young ones) often have so many ideas that they need help sifting and sorting this out.  What I really need is some time (and someone) to talk through some of this so I can decide which ideas are worthy of print and which ideas need to continue to bounce around for a while like Atari’s Pong.

The key here is TALKING.  It’s hard for a writer to get unstuck when the only person they have to talk to is themselves.  That’s the same voice that is giving them ideas- not necessarily helping sort them!

So the next time your writers are stuck, cannot get things out on the paper, or just seem blank…think about this.  They may actually have so many ideas that none of them are able to get out.  In order to unstick the traffic jam, have them jot down at least 5 of their ideas.  Then conference with them about the 3 they are excited about the most.  From those 3, choose one to start a draft about.

Thanks for helping me get unstuck!