When we’re browsing for information to help our own particular problems, we reach for the weighty titles, the ones that analyze to the nth degree and provide six or seven or thirteen examples. That kind of information scan would miss Judy Delton’s surprisingly valuable little guidebook The 29 Most Common Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. My own bookshelf, physical and electronic, is scant on information about Writer’s Block. That doesn’t mean I haven’t suffered from it, the way many writers have. Most of my earlier years when I plunged into Writer’s Block, I denied that I had it. It was the great “unmentioned unmentionable” such as Erle Stanley Gardner must have faced. I, too, have looked for processes to spin out a plot or delve into characters. I haven’t gone as far as to create a 15-page outline or 7 Plot Wheels. Nor have I looked for a variety of information on Writer’s Block and how to overcome it. I’ve simply prayed for the opportunities when my writing flows out so easily and hoped, after a stoppage, that I can return to that flowing. I have learned that writing every day prevents Writer’s Block. If we don’t admit to Writer’s Block, can we overcome it? Most of us think we can, simply by ignoring it, keeping it unmentioned and unacknowledged … at least, that’s what we think. The real, actual, only thing that we can do to Defeat Writer’s Block is act upon our Will to Write. I’m not certain that Judy Delton’s little guidebook can be found. It’s not from a major publisher although Writer’s Digest Books is certainly well-known. An internet search turns up cached pages offering the book at used book dealers like Thrift Books and ebay, but the first two that I clicked only catalogued the book; it wasn’t in stock. Anyway, on to part 2 of “Avoid These Mistakes” when attempting to find the impetus to Defeat Writer’s Block. TIMINGS 00:38 Introduction 03:07 Delton’s 5th Mistake to Avoid 07:25 Her 21st Mistake to Avoid 10:13 Bridge thru Guidebook / More Advice than on Writer’s Block 17:10 Last Words / Closing Total Run Time :: 18:57 SOURCE Delton, Judy. The 29 Most Common Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Writer’s Digest Books, 1985. LINK Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2026/08/writers-block-defeat-it-avoid-these.html Licensed Music with the content is “Simple Acoustic Guitar” from the creator Apple Hill Studios, available on Audio Jungle. The music is licensed for podcast and YouTube. Music for the opening and closing segments are in the narration, also licensed from Audio Jungle for the purpose of podcast and YouTube. All short videos with the video are from Pexels.com, a site that offers free short videos, some with sound (turned off for this posting). Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. As a Blast from the Past, our current focus is a series entitled Writer’s Block: Defeat It!, originally airing as “Defeat Writer’s Block” a few years back. Here is a link to the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73Pe3yKV5HixAUjBNOg47A Select the most recent episode through the URL after the TIMINGS. The original series is available as an ebook, paperback, and audiobook. Use these links to purchase the original book. Amazon, Kindle, and Audible https://www.amazon.com/Defeat-Writers-Block-M-Lee/dp/B0D7QSV3MH Books2Read Worldwide https://books2read.com/u/3112ow AudioBook Now https://www.audiobooksnow.com/audiobook/defeat-writers-block/10295605/?msclkid=53302f8cda3f16b4c8e045b1ae0d96ed Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters Also available: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand. Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com . Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com. If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
