Tag Archives: Writer’s Block

The Pleasures of Pooping!

17/06/2019 Paul Leave a comment

After my previous recommendations about the healing qualities of urine, I’m in danger of receiving accusations that I’m obsessed with bathroom activities!

I’m not, but peeing and pooping are something we all do, and as it’s not often spoken of, we miss out on learning about some fascinating things.

I came across this information in a roundabout way, while researching the vagus nerve, which will feature in my next Cornish Detective novel as a target for a torturer.

The vagus nerve is hugely influential in how the brain, lungs, heart, digestive and excretory systems work.

This fascinating answer on Quora explains why taking a poop can feel euphoric or at least like “that’s a weight off”:

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-defecating-so-pleasing

(click on more to read the whole article)

It’s amazing how much the neurons lining our gut act as a second brain—surely the source of the expression ‘gut feeling’.

At the very least, stimulating the vagus nerve by having a poop might remove your writer’s block!

I might be gone for some time.

Writing

Writing and Failure

27/04/2019 Paul Leave a comment

This article from the New York Times is worth a read. Even established authors suffer setbacks and get the blues, so if you’re just starting out difficulties can grow out of all proportion.

I constantly remind myself that if it doesn’t come naturally, then leave it. There’s little value in forcing something into being—things take on the flavour of their creator’s mood.

Setting a writing project aside for a while, and tackling something different, some poetry or a short story might free up the log jam in your mind + you’ll get a kick out of seeing a new piece of work flow freely from your imagination. There’s more than one way down the river of creativity.

Writing

A Writer’s Conscience

21/04/2019 Paul Leave a comment

Various famous authors have said things about conscience and the writing process. Chekhov claimed: “I confess I seldom commune with my conscience when I write.”

Joseph Campbell, a key figure in writing theory, showed a little more restraint, but not much: “Writer’s block results from too much head. Cut off your head. Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off. You have to be reckless when writing. Be as crazy as your conscience allows.”

Anne Lamott is more inclusive of her conscience, stating that taking a stance adds to the beauty of the work: “Writing takes a combination of sophistication and innocence; it takes conscience, our belief that something is beautiful because it is right.”

Leo Tolstoy advised: “Beware of anything that is not approved by your conscience.”

In writing stories, we have to choose where we stand.

The internet offers the ultimate get-out, absolving an author of responsibility for revealing information, for after all, if it’s online anyone could find it. Filmmakers have long been accused of inciting real-life violence by showing it on screen, with arguments that it does and that it doesn’t.

Film directors can get very touchy about the issue:

Do your stories have a message for good? It needn’t be heavy-handed and preachy

Or, do you worry that your book might deprave readers?

Paul Pens

Tag Archives: Writer’s Block

The Pleasures of Pooping!

Writing and Failure

A Writer’s Conscience

Real Write, Real Edit, Real Publish