On Being Stuck: Tapping Into the Creative Power of Writer's Block

by Laraine Herring

Overview

What if writer's block became your most precious teacher? An empowering new process for writers who struggle with the seemingly insurmountable middle of a project, from the author of Writing Begins with the Breath.

Writer’s block. If you are a writer, you know it can be a haunting, terrifying force—a wolf at the door, a vast conspiracy, something that keeps you up at night, spinning your wheels, going nowhere. But what if we’ve been thinking about writer’s block all wrong? What if, by paying attention to its qualities and inquiring into its hidden gifts, we can release that power?

On Being Stuck is an empowering guide to working with your blocks and finding the friend within the beast. Using deep inquiry, writing prompts, body and breath exercises, and a range of interdisciplinary approaches,On Being Stuck will help you uncover the gifts hidden within your creative blocks, while also deepening your relationship to your work and reawakening your creative process.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611802900
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	05/17/2016
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	1,100,960
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Laraine Herring holds an MFA in creative writing and an MA in counseling psychology. Her short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in national and local publications. Her fiction has won the Barbara Deming Award for Women and her nonfiction work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She currently directs the creative writing program at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona and teaches at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. She's the author of 7 books, including Writing Begins with the Breath and The Writing Warrior. She is a member of the Author's Guild and the American Association of University Professors, as well as the founder and Head Monkey of Fierce Monkey Tribe. She lives in northern AZ.

Table of Contents

Preface: The Polar Vortex, Bats, and a Green Monkey xi

Introduction 1

Part 1 When You Meet the Block

1 Cultivate a Relationship with Your Writing 7

2 Learn to Move through the World as a Writer 13

3 Create a Consistent Practice 18

4 Understand the Type of Block You're Working With 22

5 Learn to Dialogue with Your Work 29

6 Release Perfectionism's Chains 36

Part 2 To Move through a Block

7 Welcome Your Writing 41

8 Learn to See the Gifts of Each Writing Session 46

9 Maintain Motivation 50

10 Cultivate Healthy Boundaries 53

11 Be at Ease with the Creative Process 58

12 Be Your Own Teacher 64

13 Challenge Your Beliefs about Writing 69

14 Let Go of Being Productive 74

15 Set an Intention 77

16 Build Trust 80

17 Be Kind to Your Writing 84

18 Follow Your Curiosity 88

19 Recognize the Characteristics of the Stages 92

20 Learn to Spot Impending Transitions 95

21 Move into Transitions 101

22 Find Your Storyverse 106

23 Let Your Writing Take the Lead 112

24 Embrace the Middle 115

25 Connect with Your Body 119

26 Make Friends with Stress 123

27 Sit with Discomfort 128

28 Venture into Unknown Waters 132

29 Have Faith 135

30 Devote Yourself to Your Writing 139

Part 3 Beyond the Block

31 Embrace the Re-Vision 143

32 Pause between Drafts 147

33 Welcome the Silence 151

34 Say Yes to the End 155

Afterword 158

Acknowledgments 159

Appendix: Powersheets 161

Resources 171

About the Author 174