Writer's Block Therapist

Even though it’s only been a week since I’ve started using this blog for my creative writing class I think I’ve started a theme. I tend to write more on my ideas of writing and what I think about writing. This could be because I have really written anything new lately which is really annoying.

Writers block is the worst. It’s not that I can’t write its that nothing makes sense. At least it’s not anything that I look at and say “that’s a good start.” I believe that the best way to call back your muse is to just write. Even if nothing is perfect or good just put the pen to paper. I bought a book not too long ago called “The Writer’s Portable Therapist” by Rachel Ballon, Ph.D.

She a writer’s therapist (kinda weird) that works in L.A. The book is about writing, how writers view writing, become famous, writing problems, and much more. Each chapter starts with a topic and then goes into scenarios that her patients faced. She introduces the Fast Flow Method which she says gets you ready to write. You pick a place that you want, close your eyes, breath count to five, hold that breath for three counts, and slowly let that breath out and count to seven. As you breathe you need to visual your favorite place. It’s a lot like mediating you continue this until you’re relaxed. Once you’ve relaxed you write for 20 minutes. No stopping not even for corrections. You just write whatever comes to your mind.

At the end of each chapter she gives you a topic in which to use the Fast Flow Method and just write. I really enjoyed this. I may not have made it 20 minutes every time but just writing was very therapeutic. The topics ranged from your fears, why you write, to personal memories.

I really enjoyed the book. And I like that you can go at your own pace (it took me a while to get through it) and can re-read it again and again. It also is helpful with writer’s block. Writing for 20 minutes about anything releases our creativity and that is very refreshing.