This week we’re publishing a series of tips to fight the ‘writer’s block’.  Some people dismiss writer’s block entirely, however many writers do experience at some point a strong sense of anxiety and fear, when having to write something new.

Sounds familiar?

Most writers, however, can come up with solutions and strategies to help, here’s ours.

1.

3.

My tip for ‘writer’s block’

At more times than once, us writers are approached by writer’s block – a complete and total mind blank, but that’s not to say that there aren’t many wonderful ways to help cure it. In saying that, I’ll be talking about one useful tip that *personally* helps ease my ‘writer’s block’.

Like most people, I’ve tried a number of things to help; listening to a podcast, taking a breather in the afternoon air or reading a book- but for me, images seem to help. If (and when) I’m feeling uninspired, I simply turn to my camera roll! Scrolling through my pictures not only provides me with a sense of sentimentality, but it also helps grasp stimuli for my writing; if you’re anything like me, your camera roll is filled with pics of your furry friends, late evening sunsets and aesthetic cafe shops (along with a range of other stuff, too!) – and all of these have the ability to provoke me and my writing.

Pictures have the gift to take you back to a certain place and time. Knowing that allows me to transport myself back to a specific moment no matter my current situation of sitting at my desk in my bedroom – the pictures help influence my writing because they broaden my sense of imagination and creativity. Take for example a photograph I capture of a sunset in the fields back at home – a glance back at it, noticing the different colours of the sky then generates specific feelings which inspire me to write. At first, on looking at the picture, I tend to take a few minutes to jot down a few words that spring to mind. In the case of the sunset: birds, trees, therapeutic, vibrant, overwhelming – after that I feel as though my mind begins to generate a few ideas and so I start writing.

With this, I also think that just writing from the top of your head can sometimes be useful, letting your mind go off on a tangent of its own ideas. One benefit of this in some cases is that if you’re writing for your own personal keepsake, nobody has to read it, and so your freedom is endless.

I know that different techniques work for different individuals, but I would definitely encourage trying this tip to help with writing inspiration if you find yourself stuck in a rut.

Personally, sitting with a hot mug of coffee taking a scroll through my camera roll is my most common way of facing the dreaded ‘writer’s block’.

Check out some of these writer’ block tips: https://goinswriter.com/how-to-overcome-writers-block/

-SG

4.

Treat Yourself!

If I’m honest, I have writer’s block pretty much 24/7.  Time is my enemy. I procrastinate so much, and the day is already over. It’s hard for me to get started on my assignments, let alone write in my spare time. So, in order to get over writer’s block I bribe myself, either with a snack, hot chocolate, Frappuccino (forgive me I’m not a coffee drinker), and music just so I can get through the block. And it’s all about the place I’m in. I can only write at home at my desk, on my laptop and in Starbucks with my tablet.

I’m one of those unusual people who just can’t stand working in silence. To me, it just adds extra dread to tackling the block. You’re reminded that you have to do this and that pressures me. Music makes me so happy, and when I write it keeps me motivated. And hot chocolate is the cherry on top.

My tip is quite, well, strange… I can’t guarantee this tip will help you, but looking back, it’s not exactly bribing yourself, its treating yourself.

What sounds make you happy and motivated?

What’s your favourite drink?

What place do you feel most comfortable in?

Each and every writer is different. And that’s amazing. One person might prefer to write in their notebook in a coffee shop. Another person might prefer to write on their phone, with their PJs on, on their bed. However you feel comfortable, whatever keeps you motivated and happy, that could be the key to fighting the dreaded block we writers all share.

Treat yourself and have great time writing.

5.

Just You-Tube it!

As a creative writer, you will undoubtably come face to face with the infamous writer’s block. It is the metaphorical wall that blocks you from taking another step towards your chosen form of writing.

There are so many types of writer’s block. Some people find it appears when they are trying to write the brilliant first line of dialogue for a screenplay, others find that it appears when they are trying to rewrite the middle part of a poem that disrupts the tone of the entire thing. It even appears when a prose writer is trying to write the ending – which should be nothing less than epic – of their novel.

It is aggravating, and stressful, but definitely stumps the best of writers. Does anyone really believe that Shakespeare didn’t have any struggles with writing the ending of Hamlet, in which the majority of the characters die? Or that Charles Dickens found it easy to write the opening scene of Great Expectations in which Pip meets Magwitch, whose off-page actions propel the entire plot forwards? Of course, they didn’t. No writer has ever had it easy. The work is always appreciated but not the struggle behind it. And the way in which the struggle is bypassed is appreciated even less so.

I personally have struggled with writers block quite a bit. When I tried to work on my screenplay for my Forms of Writing module coursework, I just couldn’t produce anything. It was a process that involved me staring at a blank word document on my laptop for half an hour. I couldn’t even narrow it down to a topic. I kept flitting between two ideas; a comedy about a selection of university students and their dysfunctional experiences or a science fiction story about people with inhuman abilities fighting each other. Neither gave me any inspiration to climb over the wall that writers block had built before me.

So, I decided that I needed to do something about the struggle that I was facing. I needed to produce sections of a screenplay, and that I had to pick one of my ideas. I chose to go on YouTube and type in the word ‘multifandom’ and then a specific word that would be the main focus of the video – which is an edit of television shows and films with music and voice overs. In this case, I typed in ‘multifandom comedy’ and then ‘multifandom science fiction’. I wanted to watch videos that were relating to the topics that I could be writing. I wanted to see which video’s vibe gave me the inspiration to write. I find that this is a really helpful technique to use for writer’s block. It gives you the chance to see other writers’ interpretations of that particular theme, and it gives you a feel for what to write. You can type in ‘multifandom’ with any type of theme that you want and usually an edited video comes up on it.

I find it best to put my earphones in, have Youtube on full screen and just watch the video – sometimes a few times over – to get me in the mood to write.

But, be warned – the videos may feature spoilers for television shows and films!

Sad Multifandom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxnsQrq0_T0

Tragic Heroes Multifandom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CWjT8ot4Wo

Unrequited Love Multifandom:

6. And here is a piece from Veronica Chmelikova, one of our first year students showing how she wrote her story in response to a song:

Waste

Standing in the middle of the street, time has stopped just for me. Nobody is noticing me. It’s just my thoughts. People passing around me, giving me a strange look because I am in their way. Do I care? No. I’m enjoying this moment. I feel like an observer, watching how time is passing, different faces in every second. My brain will save them in my memory, but I won’t remember them ever again. The joy of standing here, still without movement like a statue makes me realise how everything is just temporary. Nothing is staying in its place. Buildings are being destroyed, lives are passing, nobody is just stopping and looking around. Realising the smell of the air, the colours around us. Just phones in our hands are guiding us to the destinations. I’m losing sense of purpose. Making eye contact with a stranger is something so unusual and scary, that we are trying to avoid it. Remember when we socialised and didn’t keep our feelings in a shell?

The ability to find a purpose in this world is not easy and it took me a while to find mine. This endless universe is still a puzzle for me, but the acceptance of not knowing is so freeing. It doesn’t matter what is happening in our solar system, it matters what is happening on Earth, at this moment, in this second. What am I doing right now?

Looking at people who are going to work, their miserable faces couldn’t be clearer. Their purpose is earning money and enjoying their free time differently. It could be interesting if everyone would do what they desire. If their lives would be fulfilled in every part. It makes me wonder how much the present would change if everyone would follow their dream.

A lovely young couple passing me, holding hands, that look of not being here, that nothing around them matters. It must be the beginning of the relationship. Then one of them will get hurt eventually, one of them will love more than the other. Is it the struggle of the youth? We are always looking for the best match, but we don’t accept the work which needs to be done for a better relationship. We are aware that in a job we need to work hard to get a promotion, but in love we expect it automatically. We are looking for some special feeling for the other person but that is only temporary, the permanent part should be what we believe in each other. This world is full of wasted love. We shouldn’t waste it, we should accept it.

I’m standing on this street for a couple more minutes when I realise that I need to go to work as well. This small realisation will be in my mind for the rest of the day. With that feeling, I’m leaving my spot.

This short story was inspired by song Dust from the band called Haelos.

By Luisa María Martínez

LBF19 welcomed publishers, agents, and authors from all over the UK and the world for one of the biggest trade fairs in publishing. Since its first edition in 1971, it has evolved from an exclusive business congress to a celebration of the book industry in which people from all different backgrounds are welcome to participate.

Last year I decided to brave the crowds, and leave the comfort of university to get a taste of the industry, but found myself very out of place, not sure of what to do with my time at the fair and how to get the most of it, so when I went back this year, I had a plan.

Here are some tips from my experience after a very stimulating three days of book talks and networking.

BEFORE THE FAIR:

1. Booking your tickets: As students, we can get a free entry ticket for the three days of the fair. Regular visitor tickets are £45, or £100 for priority access, so it definitely is an advantage worth using, and all you have to do is when you’re filling out the form to book your ticket, pick “student” as occupation and put in the name of the university in “institution”.
2. Research: Sounds obvious, but before going to the event make sure you know who the exhibitors are, what the programme is, and familiarise yourself with the layout of the fair. This will save you time and give you the chance to know exactly where to go and what to see so you won’t be disappointed if you miss a talk or find yourself in a panel you didn’t really mean to go to. (There’s even an app of the LBF that can help you do this even easier)
3. Make a list: After you’ve done your research write down all the things you’re interested in. Speakers, events, panels, and stands to visit. Try not to think of it as a checklist. You don’t have to do all of the things you write down, and once you’re in the fair you can prioritise and filter things out depending on how much time and energy you have left.

AT THE FAIR:

1. Wander around: Walking through the booths and familiarising yourself with the layout is the best way to start the day. You may find more booths you’d like to visit later, or even get proof copies of upcoming releases being given out by the publishers. (Free books!)
2. Be early: This point refers to the panels and conferences specifically. Once you have the list of panels you’d like to attend to, make it to the section of the fair in which the panel will take place with enough time so you can get a good seat (make sure you’re either near the front or where the sound comes from. It can get really loud on the fair and you can risk not being able to hear a thing if you don’t!)
3. Talk to people: There are spaces in the programme specifically there for casual networking. You can meet very interesting, like-minded people in them, and make meaningful connections that could make the difference when it’s time to find an internship or a job later in life.

AFTER THE FAIR:

1. Socialise: Many of the exhibitors plan activities after the fair closes for the day. The SYP (Society for Young Publishers) for example, hosted a social at a nearby pub so the attendees could talk to the speakers and other aspirants. Last year I had the chance to go and had a really good time besides being able to meet people with the same interests as me who I’m still in touch with today.
2. Follow up: If you met anyone at the fair don’t forget to follow up! You don’t want to be too pushy but letting the rush die out is not a good idea either. Following them on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn and send a short message along the lines of “It was a pleasure to meet you at X panel, I look forward to talking again!”. If you have an specific question or would like to know more about something they might have mentioned when you met, that’s a good opportunity to bring it up.
3. Share: Engage in social networks and share your experience of the fair. You can find people online that were at the events too, and not only grow your following but also show your online persona aligns with who you are in real life, which can come in handy when you apply for internships and jobs. You want to put your passion for the industry out there and there’s no better way to do it nowadays than through social media.

KLIMT/SCHIELE, RA

For a while Ifound it difficult to re-engage withArt, and despite being surrounded by creatives and their work, Ifound that I was losing interest, fast. After spending months away from my sketchbooks and list of ‘exhibitions to visit’, my sister and I had a quick visit to the Royal Academy of Art where I found a listing for the Klimt/Schiele exhibition- two giants of Viennese Modernism.So, I took that chanceto book a date, as there’s no better way to reconnect with art than revisiting artists you discovered when you enjoyed it the most.

The exhibition gave an insight into the artistic relationship of Klimt and Schiele, the former whois 30 years senior of Schiele. When entering the exhibition, there was a ton of information printed alongside the framed pieces on the walls of the room. The first two rooms were of Klimt’s work, full of quick sketches of nude models to detailed sketches, which both exhibited his personal style. In the 1890s, Klimt made a series of half-length portraits of unnamed females, but despite spending a large amount of his career drawing portraits, he did not create many self-portraits.

Klimt, as a leader of the Vienne Secession movement, already had his own artistic identity. His work is construed as an allusion to sexual liberation and the human psyche, ultimately building his own artistic self-portrait with anatomical studies. It is no surprise that Schiele had a keen interest in his work, even as a supporter.

As a young teen, Schiele had already gained attention for his work- constantly being reminded of his artistic talent by people around him. Though Klimt was equipped with skills, Schiele and his modern movement of art styles had greatly influenced Klimt’s work when he arrived at Vienna’s foremost Art school. Whilst Schiele did not create many self portraits, Klimt had crafted multiple self-portraits, exaggerating his limbs to create abstract work like Schiele. He had also painted serveral nude portraits with his signature black lines, reflecting how both artists had intertwining interests for intimate imagery and erotic expressionism, making their curiosities very clear.

After walking around the exhibition twice, I left with a postcard of Schiele’s work and wanting to know more about their relationship which I had no knowledge of before. Their distinctive styles had a great impact on each other than I expected. Though it felt short, it was a great way to revisit artists that I enjoyed, and slowly overcome my creative block.

Lady with Cape and Hat, 1897-98.

KLIMT Studies for the “Shakespeare’s Theater”
at the Burgtheater, 1887.

SCHIELE Female Nude 1910.

SCHIELE Self-portrait in White Garment, 1911.

UPCOMING ART EXHIBITIONS

Royal Academy, Summer Exhibition

Bill Viola, Michelangelo

Van Gogh Exhibition

 By Fahima Chowdhury

by Maarya Abbasi 

Inua Ellams joined us in a discussion where he talked about his own experiences as a poet; he explained his creative writing journey where he started off with writing narrative poems to dramatic monologues, to radio plays, stage plays and lastly screenplays. He certainly had a lot in store for us…

The story of Inua Ellams began in Nigeria in 1984; he was born in to a middle class family, in which his father worked as a manager of a factory selling ice cream and fizzy drinks. This was pretty awesome for Inua as a child, later on he had discovered a sense of creativity within himself from the age of 4, he wrote stories and loved visual art.

Growing up Inua had a great interest and passion for comic books, he told us that when he came to London his mother gave him a library card, and he would read all the comic books, and then move on to reading many other books throughout the library. He was happy being classed as a “Nerd”.

Next, Inua settled in Dublin, where he attended school as the only dark skinned African throughout the whole school. He never experienced racism but was aware of it happening. Poetry was and still is big aspect of Inua’s life, he usually listened to hip hop music and famous spoken word poets such as ‘Saul Williams’. This was from whom he gathered inspiration from.

Inua moved to London and had a lot of time to spare. He used this time to attend many open mic events. He performed regularly for five to six years, and became a well known spoken word artist. The first poem he performed was “The 14^th tale”, in which he was awarded a Fringe First at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival. From there he worked as an internationally touring poet and then moved on to be a playwright, performer, graphic artist and designer.

At this event Inua explained that “Practice comes from deep personal emotions”.  This gave us a sense of understanding about the work he’s produced and where it initially came from. The three key elements which come from his work are Identity, Displacement and Destiny. He talked about “The power of speaking your own truth” in the sense of seeing the world from your point of view and figuring out “how do I make sense of me”.  To wrap the event up we discussed the exciting projects and upcoming events that were coming up this year such as, theatrical plays and more episodes of the ‘Swipe Slow’ show. We hope to watch and attend them.

by Hannah Copley

Last Monday morning I walked to the train station with a skip in my step. The sun was shining, my blow dry was looking good, my toddler had recovered from her bout of chicken pox so was back at nursery, and I was back at work. All of these things made me happy.

But the real reason I was so bouncy on a cold Monday morning was that I had a new poem. Over the weekend, in between play dates, hoovering up broken crackers, sponging up potty training accidents, and binge watching Scandi noir on TV, I sat down and began to give shape to an idea – or rather a voice – that had been slowly growing in my mind for the last few weeks.

As part of my bigger interest in pregnancy and birth through the ages, I’m currently gathering together examples of writers, artists and pioneers whose work, creativity, bodies, or even lives were profoundly affected or cut short due to their pregnancy and/or birth. I’ve been wanting to write about Mary Wollstonecraft – the feminist pioneer and author of A Vindication on the Rights of Women (1792) – for a while now, but have struggled to find the right way to explore the circumstances of her death, as well as the relationship that this inevitably has with her feminism, her writing, and her desire to minimise the power of the body. This painful and ‘gendered death’, as Vivien Jones puts it, is all the more painful because ‘it seems to defy so cruelly some of the most fundamental tenets of Wollstonecraft’s own feminism.’* And that tension, between the physical realities of her death of postpartum blood poisoning, and her wish to be seen as so much more than simply a female body, has made it hard to find the right words.

Mary Wollstonecraft

So when the first draft did come, it felt like a victory. More than that though, I experienced that particular electric euphoria that can come with a first draft of a poem. Fittingly, it’s something akin to the euphoria of holding a newborn baby. You feel energised, alive, and amazed at what you’ve managed to create. With a newborn poem, you’re sure that this early draft is the best thing you’ve ever done. It’s perfect already, no more edits needed. This, you are sure, is going to be the making of you.

Luckily, I’ve been writing for long enough now to recognise the symptoms of this particular delusion. Painful workshops, cutting editorial comments, and the cold light of many new days have hardened me to the allure of a newborn poem. I know that it’s not perfect. Far from it. I may not be able to see its blemishes now, but I know that in a couple of days I’ll be able to view it with a more objective gaze. I’m almost scared of what I’ll find.

Time and experience have taught me how fundamentally important editing is. It has also shown me the difference a couple of days (weeks/months/years) can make to any reading of your own work. As writers, we need both proximity and distance to our material in order to shape it. We also need to continue to reflect on our creative practice, and find new ways to step outside of the sometimes claustrophobic relationship between ourselves and the page or word doc. We also need to read the work of our contemporaries to recognise what a finished poem looks like, and to put us in our place when it comes to recognising our own strengths and shortcomings.

That’s why practices like journaling are so important. They allow this space, and encourage a more holistic approach to creativity. Since Monday I’ve been working on my own version of a journal: I’ve been creating a zine. A zine – a DIY magazine or pamphlet, usually put together by one person or a small group, and comprising original and/or appropriated texts and images – offers a great opportunity for small presses and self-publishing. They are relatively easy to make and reproduce (just make sure you’re armed with good stationary and a decent printer or photocopier) and feel fresh, raw, and original.

instructions via researchgate.net

This is the way I put together my zines – anything more complicated and I’m lost! However, I don’t make them to sell or give away. As well as providing a showcase for new and unpublished work, zines, like journals and mood boards, are a great way to visualize and think around drafts and work-in-progress.

A few pages from the Wollstonecraft poem-in-progress zine

It’s Friday now, and the euphoria of the first draft has worn off. But I knowthat with any piece of writing – creative or academic, there are different stages to work through, different challenges and levels of energy, different moods and kinds of relationship between you and your creation. And continually reflecting on these stages, whether through a journal, a zine an essay, or any other way you choose, allows you to become more self-aware as a writer, and learn about how best to move from the newborn poem stage to something more lasting and mature.

References

*Vivien Jones, ‘The death of Mary Wollstonecraft’, British journal for eighteenth-century studies 20 (1997), p. 187.

by Krystyna Grodzicka

The image of the writer is very easy to romanticise. Writing is almost always a solitary act, most often accompanied by many cups of either scalding hot or ‘left for too long’ cold tea or coffee, and committed under the deep dark cover of the night—because that’s when inspiration strikes, apparently. In reality, most writers probably avoid burning the midnight oil as much as they can in order to be able to function properly and consciously during the day (which is not to say ideas never come at two or three in the morning—and those which do are very often pretty darn good ones).

Ideally, a writer should have some time during the day set aside just to sit down and write; it doesn’t have to be to work on their main project, it could be just writing for the sake of writing, if the muse just isn’t there. Dedicating even half an hour a day to writing keeps the writer in practice—as with any other skill, returning to it after a period of stagnation is more difficult than doing it regularly, even if it’s only small amounts of time inbetween other, often more pressing things.

[ image from: https://kel1ipa2sman2bdg.wordpress.com/2016/09/15/bahasaku-bahasa-indonesia/ ]

Many writers feel the pressure of making the most of the time they devote to their craft, especially if they don’t have a lot of it. They feel like any time not used to develop what they’re working on, especially if it was difficult for them to find it, is wasted—which very often leads to frustration and unproductiveness, not to mention unnecessary stress. In a situation where there are no time limits (because working on a deadline requires another style of time management), it’s important to realise that it’s okay to step away from working on one thing all the time, if not from writing in general. It’s okay to take a break, breathe for a minute, and regroup—a change in strategy is often what leads to victory.

It’s difficult to tell what exactly will do it, what will bring the errant muse back to the writer’s mind—with how deeply personal the entire writing process is, coping with lack of inspiration or simple overworkedness is an equally individual matter. Sometimes it’s best to literally step away from the computer, or from the pen and paper (for the more traditional folks out there), take a walk, or have a little snack and a glass of water. After all, being creative requires massive amounts of mental capacity, which, unfortunately, isn’t infinite for most of us, and it’s important to replenish our physical resources in order to get it back.

Another important thing is to remember that writing shouldn’t feel like a chore—once it does, and the excitement and fun of stringing words together are not there, they become replaced with frustration, stress, and often lead to the most painful writer’s block. Forcing yourself to write doesn’t bring joy; and, adapting Marie Kondo’s great decluttering method to the space of our minds, if it doesn’t bring joy, it’s not something we need, or should, keep doing.

That’s not to say that once there is a block, we should just completely stop writing, treat our foray into the craft as a lost endeavour, or—heavens forbid—a failure. However, there is something many writers, especially many young writers forget—it’s okay not to be writing all the time. It’s okay to take a moment away from the page and put yourself first.

Who knows, perhaps all you need to come up with the best idea of your life is just a breath of fresh air?