THE ICE PICK

Writing in Spite of Everything, by Bruce Holland Rogers. Eugene, Ore., Panisphere Books and Audio, 2000. ISBN 0-9704210-0-1. Audio-cassette tape, 90 minutes, $11.00.

Do you ever have trouble writing because of distractions, fears, writing blocks, worries, or depression? If so, this inspiring tape may be an answer for you.

No stranger to speculative fiction readers, Rogers has won the Bram Stoker Award in horror and two Nebula Awards in science fiction and fantasy, as well as the Pushcart Prize for literary fiction. And he admits that "there is hardly a pitfall he hasn’t had to drag himself out of." But in so doing, he has managed to "become an expert in crawling out, brushing himself off, and getting back to work." On this tape he shares with us what he has learned about avoiding the psychological and emotional perils of writing, and of dealing with them when you can’t avoid them.

In his pleasant, soothing voice, Rogers discusses the times when we are "barely even nibbling at our writing." Whether you call this writer’s block or just procrastinating, most of us feel that we don’t write enough. In fact, Rogers defines a writer as "a person who thinks he doesn’t write enough."

This excellent tape is more than just a "feel good" tape. Rogers addresses specific causes for our excuses, anxieties, and difficulties, and offers concrete solutions.

The first problem he addresses is "the difficulty of beginning"--that terrible blank piece of paper or computer screen that can completely stall out a writer. And he talks about how to get started and keep moving, giving you a number of different techniques for getting started. Some ideas may work for you; others will not, depending on how you approach your work and whether you are a "basher"--who needs to perfect everything before moving on--or a "swooper"--who wants to get it all down first and worry about revising later.

Or are you a victim of external distractions? What is your work area like? Are your distractions social or from family? Do you use research or revision as a distraction? You can’t change the kind of person or writer that you are, but there are things you can do.

He discusses also answers for the internal distractions of fear, boredom, depression, the endless quest for something new, the inner rebellion of self when you are too hard a taskmaster, the lure of ever-better projects, and the pain of regret.

There are the emotional "weights" of discouragement, of lack of support by family or friends, of martyrdom, and of skepticism of your own God-given talents. Perhaps you need a "work buddy" to encourage you. Or one of Rogers’ other solutions.

Four "absences" sometimes stop us from writing. These may include lack of energy, goals, inner fire, or effort. Perhaps you have outgrown your goals or you are trying to write someone else’s idea of the story you should write.

Lastly, Rogers discusses the difficulty of ending and how "endless fiddling becomes an excuse not to write."

"Writing," Rogers says, "is much more than a job or a career," because "by writing we deeply connect with our inner selves and the world around us," and whatever interferes with our ability to write affects everything else in our lives. Rogers describes writing as being "right up there with family, friends, spirituality, and anything else that gives us roots." Because of that we need to be able to write on "in spite of everything."

I love this tape. After a particularly difficult summer and fall, I found this tape to be just what I needed to help me get back to work. I recommend it very highly to any writer who thinks he isn’t writing as much as he’d like to.

{Published in SF and Fantasy Workshop Newsletter, Dec. 2001.}