Jane;

Sure, here you go:

Lord Jesus, as I enter this work place, I bring your presence with me. I speak your peace, your grace, and your perfect order into the atmosphere of this office. I acknowledge your Lordship over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and accomplished within these walls. Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gifts you have deposited in me. I do not take them lightly but commit to using them responsibly and well. Give me a fresh supply of truth and beauty on which to draw as I do my job. Anoint my creativity, my ideas, my energy, so that even my smallest task may bring you honor.

Lord, when I am confused, guide me. When I am weary, energize me. Lord, when I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit. May the work that I do and the way I do it, bring hope, life, and courage to all that come in contact with me today. And, Oh Lord, even in this day's most stressful moments, may I rest in You. In the mighty name that is above all names, in the matchless name of my Lord and Savior Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Dear Michael,
I am interested in the prayer you say before your work day. Would you be willing to share your prayer?
Thanks!
Jane Z-B

Hey BabyBlogger - Thanks! - Mike

Thanks, Michael, I read the article. Thumbs up. Also, didn't know you had a forum here...another playground! lol I'll be back for sure.

Take care!

Hi BabyBlogger;

I feel your pain! I am often like you. Check out this little article I wrote on this topic: http://www.whitepapersource.com/writing/startingblock.html

Mike

I voted 'one hour if I'm lucky'. Only because you said to be honest and that's honestly where I'd been for about the past month or so not counting this past week where I've been a little more disciplined.

On a good day though, I can go for maybe 3 or 4 hours. When I'm forcing myself to write (like today), I'll write for one hour and then play for an hour, write for one hour and then play.... Playing usually means I'm hanging out on someone's blog (lol) or on a message board somewhere.

Love the ideas for writer's block here. Thanks!

Hi Dianna;

We have a very similar schedule. I do heavy lifting in the morning and creative work in the afternoon. I ALSO, chew on projects for a few days before I start writing.

Thanks for stopping in!

Mike

I'm like Bob. I will do my "hard" or "intense" writing projects in the morning -- morning is when I do my best writing. I try to write every day from 8:30 to 11:30 and then from 12:30 to 2:30. I do "easier" projects in the afternoon. I can sustain up to six hours of intense writing, but that usually wipes me out. I can't do it every day.

I also use Bob's trick that I got from one of his books -- I have multiple projects going so that I can switch off.

Another trick I've learned is to tell myself I HAVE TO write for an hour on something I've been dreading -- I mean, write no matter how bloody awful it sounds. It's sorta like jumping into a cold swimming pool. Once I get going, though, the stuff usually pours out of me, and then I'm over that initial hurdle.

And one last trick -- planning and thinking! You can't just sit down and start writing. I often mull over a project for days before I start writing. Sometimes words will just come out without any trouble. I love those days!

Susan - That is some great advice. I follow the same rule. Remember when the Internet was slow and images would load in phases? First you would see a fuzzy version of the image and then slowing the image would load to full clarity. That is how I write. It takes time, but it works! - Mike

The key to breaking writer's block is to lower my standards.

I start off by writing less-than-perfect prose. After that, I can go back to edit.

Michael: I tend to work on projects in long blocks of time -- either half the day or more likely most of the day. When I tire in mid to late afternoon, I switch to an easier project -- say, from a difficult white paper to a book.

Jonathan - I had an iPod can recently it was able to play games. It is true that a mental break like a game can help as long as you can get back to work. See http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2006/09/25/fun-distractions-games-on-your-ipod/ - Mike

Hi Chris - I also pray. I have a prayer I have been saying for years before I start my work day. BUT, I need to do that more often when I am in a writing funk. - Mike

The answer to writer's block is simple --- highly violent computer games!

Once you've blasted space aliens or zombies for about an hour you'll find that getting back to writing that white paper on the impact of the plough during the Mesopotamia Era much easier.

I'm not even close to a professional writer. I haven't gotten paid for anything since I was writing term papers for engineering majors in college! But my normal routine is to get up at 5 and spend a couple two or three hours writing on my blogs before I get my day going.

Of course now I am on vacation and am really working hard on some other projects so I haven't written in a week. Sheesh!

And my approach to writers block is a little unorthodox, I guess. When I have a blank (which is more often than not, actually) I pray and ask God what He wants me to write. And it works for me whether I'm writing on more religious themes or not.

Good advice Bob. Do you find your writing comes in short shurts of inspiration and THEN you switch to another project, or do you tend to work for many hours and then switch?

Mike

I never get Writer's Block because I use a simple technique I learned from Isaac Asimov: always be working on multiple writing projects simultaenously. When I am stuck and burned out on the landing page I am writing, I just switch to an ad, white paper, or article.

Hi Jen - Who do you write for? - Mike

I often write articles, but couldn't imagine doing it full time! I guess it's easier when it's factual like a white paper ...?!