![\"Nicorette](\"http:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/nicorette.gif\" "\\"Nicorette")
Basically falling prey to those nasty little voices in my head – which, for some reason, resemble the Nicorette Monster (even though I'm a non-smoker – way to go Johnson & Johnson Marketing Dept.)<\/p>\nThere's a new method to my madness…and I like it.<\/p>\n
When I'm working on a piece, there is inevitably that moment of panic when I hit the wall of nothingness. When no amount of brainstorming, or pacing, or even coffee will inspire me with what should come next.<\/p>\n
The 2008 me would sit, pout, gnash my teeth, and come to the delusional-yet-somehow-believable conclusion that maybe I'm just not cut out for the writing life at all.<\/p>\n
Basically falling prey to those nasty little voices in my head – which, for some reason, resemble the Nicorette Monster (even though I'm a non-smoker – way to go Johnson & Johnson Marketing Dept.)<\/p>\n
But it's 2009 now. And there's a new sheriff in town.<\/p>\n
The new me is not content to rest on my laurels, wallowing in self-pity. Hell, no! I'm taking names.<\/p>\n
So, I'm going to let you in on my little secret. My only reservation? The solution was so simple, I'm almost embarrassed to share.<\/p>\n
Ready…<\/p>\n
Here it is…<\/p>\n
Lost, stuck, or perhaps simply bored of the piece I was working on, I set it aside…and swiftly started working on another piece!<\/p>\n
That's it. Secret revealed. Hand? Meet forehead.<\/p>\n
It's refreshing how easily I was able to put that one story aside and not only brainstorm a new idea, but put together a cast of characters, a plot, and underlying conflict to boot.<\/p>\n
I've already written more in this one piece in a night than I have after days working on the other. Dude!<\/p>\n
Of course, I know it won't always be this easy. But sometimes…you just need to let things brew a while.<\/p>\n
And at the very least, it has restored my confidence and allowed me to dash those nasty little voices in one fell swoop.<\/p>\n
Let's just hope one sinister little one will remain. Otherwise, I'm going to have to start writing romance novels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There’s a new sheriff in town. And she’s taking names!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[48,54,53,7],"class_list":["post-284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-on-writing","tag-inspiration","tag-techniques","tag-writers-block","tag-writing"],"yoast_head":"\n