Comments on: Writer’s Block Is For Hippies And Slugabeds

By: Writing advice whilst I’ve been sick | Doing Write

Writing advice whilst I’ve been sick | Doing Write — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:31:24 +0000

[...] TERRIBLEMINDS: Chuck Wendig, Freelance Penmonkey » Writer’s Block Is For Hippies And Slugabe… [...]

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:59:46 +0000

Vulgar, yes. Cunning, if only.

– c.

By: Will

Will — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:47:23 +0000

You’re a vulgar and cunning man, Chuck.

By: In Other Words » Blog Archive » You Call it Writer’s Block

In Other Words » Blog Archive » You Call it Writer’s Block — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:41:02 +0000

[...] All over the intertubes there are about a million pages worth of advice on how to ‘get past writer’s block.’ I don’t need to rehash any of that, mostly because I don’t believe in writer’s block. (Why? Well, Chuck Wendig said it far more succently than I feel like right now.) [...]

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:07:16 +0000

Using your anger is just one of many ways. I’ve sort of started a whole series on exercises to get you out of these predicaments.

By: PT: Sentence Building :Blue Ink Alchemy

PT: Sentence Building :Blue Ink Alchemy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:56:21 +0000

[...] Block” back in the early days of the blog. However, it has been proven by scientists that writer’s block is complete and utter bullshit. In light of this revelation, it’s necessary to rebrand this service I’m attempting to [...]

By: Scionic

Scionic — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:15 +0000

I dunno about Page Four. Seems half their “features” is talking about what it doesn’t do. Granted, half the time I don’t need any of that stuff, but… seems like it would be better to emphasize the added stuff. This is the first I’ve heard of Scrivener though.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:42:59 +0000

Oh, don’t get me wrong — the tools are important. Comfort and useability are key. But it’s also easy to focus on the tool, or the problems with the tool.

And trust me, if I could use Scrivener, holy fuck, I would. Baby want.

Someone recommended this as a Windows-esque replacement. I don’t buy it, but so it goes.

http://www.softwareforwriting.com/

– c.

By: Stephen H.

Stephen H. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:35:01 +0000

I understand. The tools aren’t always the thing. I started writing my first novel back in 1990 on an Atari ST before we even bought a PC. It got finished on the PC though on a very early version of Word.

Word has been decent enough, I suppose, and I write with it. I have just been hearing such very good things about tools like Scrivener which apparently let you organize your thoughts and fragments of “stuff” more effectively. I don’t know that I want to be distracted with a new learning curve, though. I can crack open Word on either my Mac or PC and get writing. That’s the important thing, as you quite rightly say.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:24:55 +0000

No, I don’t use Scrivener — I’m not Mac. I’m a PC.

I have a fine relationship with Word for the most part. It does what I want. Most people use it. With Word 07, I feel like I have better control.

Ultimately, it’s important to have a good tool, but Word works. People who over-focus on what software to use should stop fretting, pick one, and use it. It’s easy to get caught up in “tool fetishism” whether we’re talking hammers, pens, notebooks, chainsaws, or word processing programs. I used to get that way — I’d freak out because Word wasn’t doing what I wanted, or I’d get caught up fonts and margins and all that stuff. But then I realized that a craftsman shouldn’t blame his tools (not that I’m suggesting you’re doing anything of the kind; I’m talking about me, what I used to do).

– c.