Help For Writer’s Block
As a professional writer, I have struggled with and been paralyzed by writer’s block more times than I can count — until I discovered the four solutions I’ll tell you about in a second.
Why four solutions? Because writer’s block doesn’t have just one cause; otherwise there would be a one-size-fits-all cure. It’s a complex problem involving many factors.
It’s also a lonely sort of problem because others just don’t understand. You see people who are less motivated and less capable than you who have no trouble at all with it. On the other hand, you see people at your level or higher – scholars, etc. — who also have no problem with it!
So writer’s block is confusing because it’s hard to not think you’re just weird (and even a bad writer) when you sit there staring at a blank page doing nothing. Maybe you should give up?
No! The good news is that, according to studies I’ve read, the better a writer you are, the more likely you are to get writer’s block. The more you know about your subject, the tougher the time you’ll have on average.
Think about it… because you’re a good writer, you have high standards for your work. It takes an astonishing level of quality until you’re satisfied with your work. Not only that, but there’s also a ton of external pressure to produce high quality. If you’re writing a dissertation for a PhD, your graduate committee will constantly make complex demands that cause you to second-guess yourself. If you’re an author, you’re under massive pressure to produce perfection. And so on.
What I’m getting at is that writer’s block is caused by being focused on the outcome while you’re writing.
Think about when you’re talking to somebody. While you’re talking to them, is it good to over-analyze and think about what it will be like to look back on the conversation? Of course not. Instead it’s best to just allow the conversation to flow.
It should be the same thing with your writing, since writing is just one-on-one communication in print.
With that in mind, hang onto your seat because here is the cure for writer’s block:
1. Stop Fooling Yourself Into Thinking You’re Writing When You’re Really Not.
Most people think about writing as an entire process, where you take a walk and think, you drink a cup of coffee, you read a book to prepare for the writing, etc.
However, in reality you’re not writing when you do those other things. Taking a walk to think and clear your mind is not writing; you’re only writing when your fingers are tapping the keyboard or moving the pen.
You’re not writing when you’re doing research; you’re only writing when you’re actually in the act of producing words and sentences.
2. Figure Out What Your Interruptors Are and Quarantine Them.
Answer this question:
When I stopped writing, what activity did I then do?
Maybe you stopped writing to check email, telephone a friend, or to do yet more research. That is your Writing Interruptor, and you should quarantine it for later. Prevent yourself from checking email (or whatever) until you’re finished.
Try it and see how it works. Because let’s face it: your current system of stopping writing in order to do something else is not working.
By the way, it doesn’t matter how much research you do or how many breaks you take to refresh. Nothing will get your writing project done except putting words on paper.
But, you’re probably thinking, doesn’t doing a ton of research make the writing go easily?
The answer is no… in fact it is the opposite. The more research you do, the higher the standard you set for yourself, making it harder to actually write.
I’ve seen a lot of extremely bright graduate students fall into this trap, making projects like dissertations take literally years longer than they should have, simply because they over-prepared and learned too much before writing.
Never confuse preparation for writing with the writing itself, because the more you prepare to write, the tougher the writing becomes.
3. Stop Calling It “Writer’s Block”
Ever noticed how saying “I feel sad” makes you feel depressed? Or (in the case of this site) “I feel lazy” makes you feel lethargic? It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Plus the label “writer’s block” makes the challenge sound impossible to overcome. After all, how can you do something if you’re blocked by some mysterious outside force?
So, rather than saying “I have writer’s block,” be more accurate and say, “I’m currently being too lazy to put words on paper.” That way it becomes a problem you can get past rather than an external obstacle.
4. Use A Model.
Pablo Picasso is famous for saying, “Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.” What he meant by that is you don’t need to invent the wheel. Instead you should model your work after something that’s already been done well.
So if you’re writing an article on on organic gardening tips, find similar articles and use them as a model. If you’re writing a dissertation, find other successful dissertations to use as ideal examples for you to follow. And so on.
Finally, was this post helpful to you? Please post a comment to let me know.
-John
