by Tammy Karasek, @tickledpinktam
There are times as a writer that we can feel at a total loss for words. Have you experienced this? As a lover of words, this can make us wonder or doubt if we are in the correct field. We want to write, but we sit in silence. We may think—if I’m a writer, why can’t I find the words I want to say?
In those quiet times where we lack words, we can learn to use this for our good. Often as writers our thoughts race faster than our fingers can tap on the keys or write with pens. But when the words seem to elude us—no matter how much we stare at the blinking cursor—we can become impatient and frustrated. We can groan or huff loudly as if that will dump words back into our brain. Or is that only me?
What if we re-train ourselves to appreciate the silence? What if we learn to use that time as an opportunity to stretch ourselves as writers?
I have three suggestions on how to use the silence and loss of words to better our writing:
- Take the opportunity to grab a study Bible, journal and pen and find a new spot to sit for a bit. Pick a word. Use either a word in your current work in progress or one on your mind. Start in the concordance and see if it’s there. If so, then follow it and all the marginal notes on a fabulous rabbit trail of study. If the exact word isn’t there, find a similar word and do the same. Often digging through scripture will get the mind processing.
- Go for a quick walk to get some fresh air. Changing the scenery from your same four walls can often jolt a new idea. And the body stretch is a great thing for a writer who tends to sit most of the day for his or her job anyway.
- My last suggestion is one I’ve used a lot lately. Take a moment to do what I call Get Prone before the Throne. I turn off any noise and lie down on the floor in my office. Then I pour it all out to God. I tell Him that I’m stuck, and tell Him of the doubts and negative thoughts that Satan is trying to overrun my thinking process with. And if I’m honest, there just may be a little tantrum action from time to time to blow off frustration steam!
Did it ever occur to us that having writer’s block might be a little nudge from God? It may be that God is hungering for our time together way more than we are. We can get caught up in deadlines, word counts and posts to be set to drop that we forget to keep God in the very thing He’s called us to do. Write. Do we include Him? Hopefully we are writing FOR Him, but are we writing WITH Him? Ouch. I’m feeling a little guilt myself on this one.
Instead of complaining when we have silence in our writing, we can learn or train ourselves to use this as a tool in our writing life. Don’t let doubt creep in when the words don’t come. We’re still writers. Instead, let’s let God use the silence for our good. Better yet, for His good.
Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, is the driving force of her passion to always encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! And desires that for others as well. She’s the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Blog Editor for Word Weavers International. Also the founding and current President of ACFW Upstate SC, founding and current President of Word Weavers Upstate SC and Past-President of Cross N Pens Writers Group. She’s a member of My Book Therapy/Novel Academy. A writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Learn How to Write a Novel Blog and others. Published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also a Virtual Assistant and Launch Team Manager.Connect with Tammy at https://tammykarasek.com.