How to Conquer Writer’s Block: Tip 63
WHERE THE ANSWERS ARE
I am not blocked with regards to my anti-block blog, but deeply into a new project, furiously applying any and all writing tips to that end. But I’d like to share a tip I just relearned; I seem to need to relearn it for each story I attempt.
I read an interview with Phillip Roth in which he commented on the fact that he didn’t reveal the identity of the narrator until the middle of his novel, NEMESIS. In fact, he himself hadn’t realized the narrator’s identity until that moment.
‘ “It just dawned on me as I was writing along,” Roth explains. “The book educates you about the book.” ‘
The book educates you about the book.
For those of us who are unable to write story outlines until after the book is complete (!) the process of writing the book itself slowly provides the answers. After a while, but only while messing around in that awful first draft, characters become better understood and plot choices present themselves. I am always amazed at how blank my mind is about my story, until I’m actually writing the darn thing.
The book educates you about the book. So, once again, just begin. And continue to continue.
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