Overcoming writer’s block, part 2

I doubt Anne Lamott has had many, if any, bouts of writer’s block. The woman is a fairly prolific novelist and author of writing manuals.

But she certainly knows the intimidation of having to tackle a big writing project. Feeling overwhelmed by a writing project is one of the surefire triggers of writer’s block, as well as clever excuses to procrastinate.

Big writing projects are common in the business world, such as when an annual marketing plan or other hefty report is due to the boss.

In those cases, Lamott, author of the writing classic Bird by Bird, suggest taking the assignment piece by piece. When a project seems too big to handle, break it down into smaller, self-contained pieces, Lamott says.

Busting up your writing assignment into manageable chunks – say, by product group or geography – can help get you off the dime and making progress. In addition, give yourself permission to write less than perfect first drafts.

“The first draft is the child’s draft,” says Lamott. “You let it all pour out, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later. All good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.”

Smaller pieces of writing and smaller expectations. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get started. And you’ll be surprised how quickly momentum is likely to build.

Soon, all those component parts will add up to a completed writing assignment.

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