Let's Talk about Writer's Block, Baby!

Title: Let’s Talk about Writer’s Block, Baby

Episode #5

Note: the preshow music is a sampling of what Barry is writing to accompany Drema’s novel, Victorine. 

1. Advisory: This podcast may contain explicit language and contagious ideas. Listener discretion is advised. 

2. Welcome/Intro

Welcome to WATT, your biweekly home for all things writing instruction, analysis, inspiration, and writing news and trends. We’re sometimes irreverent, but our material is (we hope) always accessible. 

I’m Drema Drudge, author of the forthcoming novel, Victorine, from Fleur-di-Lis Press. I’m a graduate of the Spalding University MFA in Creative Writing Program, and I’m currently a freelance writer and writing coach. 

I’m Barry Drudge, co-host and recent MFA graduate of Spalding University, former ghostwriter and a songwriter and musician who has worked with Grammy winners in Nashville. 

1.  News and trends: 

Fears that Barnes & Noble would close have been allayed by it being acquired by the hedge fund Elliott ‘s Advisors, according to Publishers and Writers. The fund paid  $638 million for what is the remaining largest bookstore chain in the United States. Stay tuned for what if any changes will occur as a result of this purchase. 

According to the bookstore chain’s website, the store’s origins was truly homespun: Charles Barnes started a book business from his Wheaton, Illinois home in 1873. His son, William, partnered with G. Clifford Noble in what became Barnes & Noble in 1917. Their flagship store opened in NYC during the Great Depression.

Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, is coming to the big screen in September 2019. The director of the project is John Crowley, who also directed Brooklyn, the well-received film adaptation of Colm Toibin’s novel. 

Not unexpectedly, Tayari(Ta YAH Ree) Jones won the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction recently, the award often known as the Orange and Baileys for the sponsors. This UK award was given for Jones’ novel An American Marriage. Jones is on the faculty of the Rutgers University MFA program. Her book was an Oprah book club selection in 2018. This is next on my list! Been waiting for this one, and it’s finally available at the library! 

2.  Whatcha readin’?

Barry – Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. 

Drema – Marilla by Sarah McCoy. From Anne of Green Gables series. 

n My Sister the Serial Killer -- satirical

5.  Topic of this episode is: Writer’s Block, by popular demand. 

This topic has been hot on Twitter, with some writers saying it doesn’t exist, while some saying it’s crippling their craft. Emotions are running high. 

Here are our FB group’s members’ thoughts, edited by us for length and clarity but not content. 

Bob Henderson says: 

I feel I suffer from it when writing music. When I'm out rising my bicycle or doing something I can sing something random and be like that would be cool to add as a lyric, but when I sit down and try to force it to be something it's hard to add more content to it. I have a lot of instrumentals that would be fully completed songs, but writers block seems to hinder a lot of that. It’s gotta be natural and in the moment, not forced is what I am learning.

Liz Wilkes notes:

I feel like I'm always dealing with writer's block. With or without an outline, I still struggle to come up with the right word or phrase. To combat writer's block I like to reread what I