WRITER'S BLOCK: MOVE ON

"Abandonment is a necessary task of the writer.  As we grow in our art, our art changes, and we must move on."    Writing Alone and With Others by Pat Schneider ( p.5)

Pat Schneider makes it clear as she goes on with that passage that "if we cannot let go of the familiar old habits, we will not grow as an artist."

Too often writers simply do not get to the end of what they want to say.  Always there is some reason they must continue on – it's not good enough, the words are not quite right, the essence was not captured.  Have you ever heard of or known someone who is "forever" writing their book?

It took me so long (years) to complete my PhD dissertation that by the time I was done, not only had my son become a teenager, but he had come to believe that I would always be working on my dissertation.  Of course, part of the difficulty I was having was getting my committee on board given semester breaks seemingly always interfering.  But, part of the problem was my unwillingness to let the work be "less than perfect."  At last, I focused on getting the work done and giving up the dream of having the quintessential masterpiece.

I learned from that experience almost 25 years ago to just keep writing… and finishing.

So, if you find yourself having difficulty finishing your writing and moving on, keep the words of Pat Schneider in mind… "abandonment is a necessary task of the writer."