META: Neil Gaiman on writer's block

[Scott Eiler]

On 3/8/2012 7:26 PM, Adrian J. McClure wrote:
> http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/18848712919/reposted-as-something-that-can-be-reblogged-on
>
> Blaming “Writer’s Block” is wonderful. It removes any responsibility
> from the person with the “block”. It gives you something to blame, and
> it sounds fancy.
>
> But it’s probably more honest to think of it as a combination of
> laziness, perfectionism and Getting Stuck. If you’re being lazy, don’t
> be. If you’re being a perfectionist, don’t be. And if you’re stuck,
> figure out where the story went off the rails, or what you got wrong,
> or where you need to go deeper, or what you need to add to make it
> work, and then start writing again.

I believe Mr. Gaiman may have been speaking to people who *have* to 
write things.  Either they have to write a thesis, or they've already 
taken money to write a nonexistent story.  But in RACC we're different. 
  We *want* to write things, and we don't *have* to publish. If we've 
committed to some major story and it's so boring we don't want to write 
it any more, then we can finish the story early and write something 
else!  Or at least *take a break* and write something else.  Our readers 
will probably thank us.  Or at least they should.

Why yes, I live my beliefs.  That's where Clueless Lad and Powernaut 
stories come from.  Feel free to start thanking me for sparing you a 
bunch of SW10 dystopia stories.


-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

Turns out I'm an anally-fixated oedipal paranoid with 
south-of-the-border schizophrenic delusions...  But never mind, I've 
found me the ideal job.  I'm going to run for President!

- Major Honey, scripted by Grant Morrison (that's *Mister* Morrison to 
you), Doom Patrol #46, August 1991.