| Imagine being a firefighter and one day, despite all | | | | and you'll become a legend. |
| of your training and years of experience, you | | | | The key is to bang out something, and one of |
| simply seize up, can't slide down the proverbial | | | | the best ways to do this is by using ezines, sites |
| pole, and hop onto the wailing truck. | | | | where you post your articles, for free. Most |
| Or, you sell insurance, and the day comes when | | | | ezines are perfectly democratic: they'll publish |
| you suddenly find yourself at a complete loss to | | | | anyone. And your work doesn't have to be "A" |
| explain the terms of a car policy, though you've | | | | grade; it can be "D" grade and still make the |
| done it hundreds of times and the coverage is | | | | grade. |
| stated clearly before you, in black and white. Your | | | | Ezines offer many things to the blocked writer: |
| lips might move, but no sounds come out. | | | | (1) A "sure publication." There's really no question |
| These would be frightening episodes, I'm sure you | | | | your piece will appear, and it will probably look |
| would agree, yet they're fairly commonplace for | | | | very good. These are two concerns dashed right |
| writers, who experience similar work stoppages, | | | | away, that we'll write "for nothing," and what we |
| known as writers' blocks. | | | | produce will "be embarrassing." |
| You sit down at the keyboard but your mind | | | | (2) Your peer group of ezine writers will consist, |
| can't string together two or three coherent | | | | largely, of rank amateurs. Their offerings won't |
| words. It's as if you're paralyzed. | | | | come close to yours in terms of quality, which is |
| There are a number of causes, including fear of | | | | very reassuring and motivating. |
| failure, a disabling hangover, and runaway | | | | (3) You can usually edit your pieces at your |
| self-criticism. | | | | convenience. So, if you simply banged out an |
| But the important question is, when you're gripped | | | | inferior piece, you can polish it. |
| by this scribe's plague, how can you cure it? | | | | (4) You can experiment, again for free, writing in |
| According to Cameron & Bryan in their fine | | | | new categories, if you like. Have you always |
| book, THE ARTIST'S WAY, a great way to fight | | | | longed to branch out into crafting self-help pieces? |
| back against creative blockages is to focus on | | | | Go ahead. Before long, you'll appear as expert as |
| QUANTITY, not quality. They advise writers to | | | | the next writer who has dedicated a lifetime to |
| simply write ANYTHING, no matter how dreadful. | | | | the topic. |
| Just don't show your output to anyone, and you | | | | (5) You'll be able to bundle your articles into |
| don't even have to re-read it to yourself. Just the | | | | books, videos, and audios later on, for which you |
| act of writing, and they advise we do it every | | | | might be handsomely compensated. |
| day, especially in the morning, is valuable. | | | | When you know you're going to produce |
| I endorse this idea and apply it to all areas of self | | | | something that will have merit and will actually be |
| improvement in my Nightingale-Conant audio | | | | seen by others, a huge amount of pressure is |
| seminar, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW | | | | relieved. |
| TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE. If you do | | | | So, fear not. Ezines can cure your writer's block, |
| enough of anything, you'll succeed. If you do more | | | | one little article at a time. |
| than that, you'll become famous. Do yet more, | | | | |