Guest Author - Lucinda Moriarty

There comes a time in every writer’s life when the words just won’t come. Children's authors are not exempt. The glare of a blank page is blinding, blocking out any view of plot or inspiration. Characters that used to beg for your attention at 3:00am have vanished leaving no forwarding address.

Welcome to the writer’s nightmare. The void. The desert. The wall. Writer's block.

If you are suffering from this occupational hazard, there might be several reasons why you can’t seem to get anything worth anything on paper. Some would have you believe that writer’s block simply comes from a lack of inspiration and from no other source. I don’t agree. True, sometimes a lack of inspiration can hamper the writing process, but there are often more complicated reasons why a writer can’t write.

But whether you believe writer’s block is simple or complex, the bottom line is this: you have to find a way past this obstacle.

Writer’s block can stem from emotional or physical sources. The physical reasons are usually easy to spot and just as easy to cure. For instance, your desk is a mess and you just can’t think when your space is in disarray. Or you may be physically exhausted and need a good night’s sleep.

The emotional reasons are far more complex. One of the more prominent causes is our old friend...fear.

Fear is a staple for anyone who puts heart and soul into crafting a story knowing that it will one day be scrutinized, and possibly rejected, by publishers. Fear makes you question yourself and your abilities. Will my book be accepted? Is it any good? Am I any good? These thoughts are natural but when they prevent you from doing what you love -- writing your children's story -- you need to find a way to work through the fear and doubt.

Working through fear isn’t easy. A source that I used in the past for my own bout of prolonged writer's block was “The Artist’s Way,” by Julia Cameron. In it, Cameron offers practical exercises so you can again become a productive writer.

I used this book about ten years ago on the advice of a friend. The “Morning Pages” exercise must be done every single day. For me, this exercise was absolutely grueling. Each morning I sat down and followed the exercise, hating every minute of it. Although the medicine was bitter at the time, the result was just as promised and I eventually said goodbye to my writer's block.

We have been discussing this topic in our forum and authors are sharing their ideas for curing writer's block. I encourage you to visit the forum and see what your peers have to say.