S. Jacques Stratton
Great question. In my case, writer's block, an ailment with which I have long acquaintance, stems from a psychological temperament which allows perfectionism to dominate my writing process. I expect sentences to spring from my mind like Athena from the head of Zeus, fully formed and ready for the world's appreciation. As most writers can attest, perfectionism and creativity make antagonistic partners, liable to generate criticism from the internal editor rather than Athenic sentences. My internal editor speaks a lot like my high school English teacher, a stern fellow who insisted that Modernism marked the high point of literary achievement. "You think you can do better than T. S. Eliot? Hah!" To silence this curmudgeon, I have to abandon my ambitious aspirations, and tell myself I'm not writing to claim my place in the Western literary canon; I'm writing to have fun. This playful approach enables me to at least get something on the page. Then, during the revision process, I'll un-mute the internal critic, though doing so may lead me to delete, change, or re-organize a big chunk of what I originally crafted. This is the ironic aspect of the writing process. You have to trust the Muse, but realize the Muse likes to play tricks, and probably delivered only a few jewels buried in trash.
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