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to get your writer's block into remission I suppose that in my lifetime I have encountered more episodes of writer's block than anyone else. You see, I spent more than 20 years in the educational publishing business. Twelve of these were as managing editor. The duties of the managing editor entail the selection of authors, the hiring of their editors and monitoring the activities of both. In educational publishing, authors do not come in with completed manuscripts. They are selected because of their backgrounds and experience. They are then directed to produce material that is tailored to fit targeted state syllabi or guidelines. Upon selection and direction, the authors start with a great deal of enthusiasm. Quite often, to ensure quality and marketable material, it is necessary to slow them down. Then as the schedule progresses some authors encounter writer's block --- that is, they just can't seem to come up with ideas and continue their writing. When this happens, just what do the publisher and editors do? Their schedule and having the product available for the targeted market is in jeopardy. When this happens it is sort of similar to Code Red at a hospital or the cry of "Hey Rube" at a circus. Every one involved at the publishing firm is called to attention and is to make ready to help. What kind of help can be supplied? First of all, understanding is required. After all writer's block can happen to anyone. The author may simply be out of new ideas. A jump start may occur when the editor in some non-intrusive way offers some suggestions. But all too often, the author in educational publishing has a full time job and is doing the writing on nights, weekends, and holidays. Being on such a regimen for and extended time, the author simply runs out of gas. A solution is for the author to take a break from writing and attend to some of the other authoring tasks. Hopefully, the break from writing will allow the author time to refresh. But what happens if the author cannot restart or there are circumstances like the death of a loved one, a divorce or author illness that comes about? In these cases, the schedule must go on. If the budget will permit then a freelance author may be called upon. If the budget does not permit, then at my firm it was customary for the managing editor to step in. This editor then becomes an author. There are several texts still in print for which I was a pinch hit author. I know that this is true for some of my competing firms. Depending upon the circumstances the author's royalty may or may not be reduced. Some people don't regard staff editors as writers. Wrong!!! It is an editor's task to take an author's manuscript and fit it into the selected format, to select photos, and to order art work. At times, this entails cutting the amount of print or adding copy, all of this without diluting the author's meaning and intent. So editors can also get writer's block. How did I handle these situations? Essentially in the same way as treating an author's writer's block problem. A third person can offer relevant suggestions, which I tried to supply. However, the staff editor does have an advantage. They always have a ready supply of other tasks to do that do not entail writing. They can work on these tasks while allowing their mind to retool. After leaving publishing and joining academia, I have authored several texts. Have I personally encountered writer's block? You bet!!!! Instead of helping others, how did I go about helping myself? First of all, in working my way through the editorial ranks. I learned this. Even though the juices are not flowing, or not flowing as smoothly as one might like, always manage to write down what ideas you may have. What you have written can always be polished or improved, but if you have nothing written down you deprive yourself of a starting point. When I run low on ideas I make it a point to talk to a trusted friend or colleague. As Emerson once said "There is no man so humble from which I cannot learn something." Sometimes you don't even have to be talking about your authoring when some idea will spring forth. Perhaps, it is this self- imposed break that does the trick. I also have the help of an understanding wife. She seems to know when I need a break before I do. She also knows when I am ripe to go back to work. Physicians know that, at present, we have no cure for some diseases. For these, the best we can do is to get them into remission. Writer's block seems to be one of these. We do not have a cure for writer's block, but there are some things we can do to get it into remission. I have tried to provide some ideas, but every author must work it out for themselves. Never give up!! A wise man once said "To try and to fail is but to learn, but to fail to try is to forfeit the inalienable right to what might have been." Good luck!!!
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