Overcoming Writer’s Block

Scrapbooking is an art form that combines both visual artistry and the written word. For some of us, the written part comes easily and we struggle with the visual; for other it is the opposite. However, even those of us who are comfortable with our ability to write a sentence can suffer from writer's block. Here are some suggestions to help you work through your writer's block and create journaling that you can be proud of.

Changing Media

I journal both by hand and by computer. I take a different approach to each. With hand journaling, I usually take the pen and start writing. I often craft a sentence or two in my head before I start writing, but I never write a draft on scrap paper first. Sometimes, I make mistakes. I try not to cross things out, but sometimes I have no choice. Sometimes I get to the bottom of the journaling area and haven't finished what I want to say, so I hurry up and make my point with fewer words or smaller handwriting. Many scrappers would not be happy with this approach, but it doesn't bother me. I figure that future generations will get a glimpse into my personality with these handwritten journaling pieces.

When I journal on the computer, I take a more editorial approach, similar to the one I use to write these articles. I type what I want to say, then I edit and reformat; I change things around. When I am finally happy with the words, I focus on changing the font and size until I have exactly what I want.

Often when I am stuck on my journaling, it is because I am using the wrong approach. Perhaps the story I am trying to tell is too important to write free-form and I should be using the computer; perhaps it is the other way around. Sometimes, changing my media (PC versus hand) helps to overcome my block.

Changing Format

If changing the media doesn't help, you could try a different format for your journaling. If you can't manage to put together a paragraph with what you want to say, try using bullet lists or journaling on little strips of paper. This works very well if you are trying to describe a personality, such as in the layout shown here:

When I sat down at the computer to write about the complex nature of my three-year-old, I couldn't figure out where to begin. Instead, I wrote little facts about him on strips of paper. I then moved them around until I was happy with them. I added a few more and I was done. I didn't say everything I wanted to say about him, but I said enough. The rest can be included in a future layout.

Sometimes it is easier to write as though you are speaking to the person in the photo instead of about them. This may be particularly true if the person in the photo has since passed away or if the photo was taken a long time ago. Try using phrases like "Here you were..." or "I still remember when you..."

Besides lists and letters, you could also try some of the following formats:

• question-and-answer
• news story
• hour-by-hour schedule
• word art/doodling
• compare/contrast
• clustering

There are many other formats you could try. Most likely, you will only need to try one to end your writer's block.

Use the Spoken Word

Some people are more comfortable telling a story than writing it. Perhaps you want to write about an event or a story or something that happened, but every time you try to write it down, something is missing. Try using a tape recorder. Record yourself (or someone else) telling the story. Then transcribe it. Feel free to leave it as is, or to edit; that is a personal preference.

Change Your Setting

Perhaps something in your setting is keeping you from being able to write what you want. For example, earlier in this article I couldn't find my words. I had been listening to music; once I turned it off the words started to flow. On the other hand, some music could set the mood or relax you. Try turning off the TV or changing the lighting. Perhaps your scrap area is too structured for this particular journaling and you would be better off on the couch. Perhaps you are too tired and you will have better luck tomorrow. (Be careful not to use the tired excuse as a way to put off your journaling and then never get it done.)

Settle for Imperfection

Just like the only bad scrapbook page is the one you never made, the only bad journaling is the one you never wrote. If you really can't manage to write the journaling, just write something. List the date, the place, and the action in the photo. If you can't stand what you wrote, hide it behind a photo or flap and never look at it again. That way you won't have to be reminded that you don't like it, but the information will still be there for future readers.

Defer

Sometimes, understanding the cause of your writer's block can be the first step to overcoming it. Is the memory or something associated with it too painful to write about? Perhaps you are scrapping a photo of a loved one who recently passed away. It was tolerable to focus on the colors and patterns to create the layout, but now that you are faced with the writing, there is no way to deny your feelings. If none of the suggestions here work for you, perhaps you are not really ready to be journaling such a painful subject. In this case, leave it for later or have someone else do it for you. If you do find it necessary to defer the journaling, write down important facts such as dates and locations so that they won't be lost when you get back to it.

Whether you find that you have writer's block on almost every layout or just on certain topics, everyone experiences it. Next time it happens, try some of the suggestions here and I bet you'll be pleased with the results.

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