Is Writer’s Block Real?
Whether writer’s block is real or not depends on your perspective. If you find yourself staring at your computer for long periods of time without accomplishing anything, that is what most people mean when they talk about writer’s block.
Nobody can tell you that writer’s block is not real.
If you can’t get anything done no matter how hard you try, there’s something wrong and you must figure out what it is.
What is Writer’s Block?
Writer’s block is when you can’t write for some reason or another. You try your hardest to get an idea out of your head, but no matter how hard you try, the words escape you.
That’s writer’s block.
It happens to the best writers, but why? Why can’t our words flow from our head to our fingers in seconds?
Why can’t our best words come out of us on demand?
I’ve written many full-length novels as well as short fiction and nonfiction books, so I’ve experienced my share of writer’s block.
I’ve had to deal with this conundrum over and over again and developed some step-by-step solutions to the problem.
Let’s explore them.
How to Overcome Writer’s Block?
Step 1 – Evaluate
The first thing you need to do is evaluate what is going on.
There are many different reasons for writer’s block that I want to go over. You might be sitting at your computer trying to come up with an idea. That is one form of writer’s block.
When we just don’t know what to write about, our writing progress is very slow. It takes time to come up with storylines and book ideas. We can’t just expect it to happen immediately. You have to have somewhere to start.
What works for me is thinking about the storyline or the book idea well in advance, so that when I finally have time to sit down and type it out, I will have something to go on.
For the most part, writer’s block is easy to fix. It’s mainly just about figuring out the concept of what you’re writing, not the exact words.
Then, there is the type of writer’s block that happens when you are on chapter 5 of your novel and you sit there in front of your blank computer screen in a daze.
Either you don’t know what to write, or you’re lacking motivation. I’ve written an article on motivation that I’ll link here, but for the most part, something else is going on.
We know how to shape words into a story. We know how to create characters and intertwine plot twists and mystery.
We know how to come up with an idea that results in a book. So, what’s the problem then?
The answer is different for everyone. It’s not the logistics of writing that is the problem, it’s what’s going on inside the writer’s head.
That’s what we need to address.
Step 2 – Relax
When I experience writer’s block I am stressed and need to relax. Whatever is causing stress must be addressed quickly. Sometimes, it’s family dynamics.
Sometimes you’re trying to squeeze in a couple of hours of writing while your children are running around the house fighting and screaming. Or maybe your husband doesn’t respect your writing dream and keeps bothering you.
Maybe your wife has a to-do list for you and gets annoyed because you’re just fooling around on the computer according to her. That causes stress, and stress causes writer’s block.
Understanding this concept helps you to be self-aware. Once you are aware of what is causing your writer’s block, you can take some time out to relax. Try going for a walk around the block, or going to the gym, or going out for coffee with a friend.
You might find relaxation calms your stress level down just enough to regain your thoughts and become excited about your writing again.
In order to be creative, one must be free of stress.
To live a stress-free life is impossible, but as a writer, you have to do the best you can to provide an environment that you are comfortable with.
Step 3 – Environment
Turn down the lights. Block out the noise. Do whatever it is you have to do to maintain and protect your writing environment.
This is one of the main causes of writer’s block. If you have an uncomfortable situation going on in the home, like fighting children, spouse, or some other stressful situation, you’re not going to be able to write properly.
I like to keep my office warm when I write. My husband likes the house cold all the time and I simply can’t write that way. So, in an otherwise cold environment, I create my own warm cubbyhole to write.
Having music in the background helps some people create a cozy environment to write, but I like ambient noise. I love listening to thunderstorms when I write. Perhaps that’s because I love writing mysteries and thrillers.
Mood Is everything when it comes to preventing writer’s block.
The environment also means you must be comfortable ergonomically. If your back is aching or your neck is killing you, you’re not going to be able to write properly.
Pain causes stress and can prevent you from writing your best work.
Distractions are also part of your environment. Post a do not disturb note on the door if your family keeps coming in and interrupting you. Teach them to respect your craft and understand your passion.
If you don’t do that, they will never know how much it means to you. That will cause frustration and lead to many episodes of writer’s block.
Finally, I want to address stupidity. Now, I don’t mean any disrespect by this, and I include myself in this, but stay away from social media while you write.
It’s a complete and utter distraction, that will interrupt the ebb and flow of your creative mind.
Step 4 – Social
As I stated above, don’t keep checking your Facebook while you write. Social networking gobbles up a lot of time you can’t afford to lose when you’re trying to get your book finished.
I have wasted so much time on social media when trying to write. I justify it by saying I’m only checking Facebook for a minute, and then I lose track of time. I answer peoples questions or comment on a Facebook post, and before I know it, the day is over.
Learn to control your social habits, and that distraction won’t pose a threat to your writing. Any threat to your writing, disrupts your train of thought, leading to writer’s block.
Social habits can also include distractions from family and friends. For example, if you have chosen to write all day and a family member comes over for coffee, you must set them straight.
At that moment, don’t be rude and kick them out of your house. That’s not what I’m saying. Put your writing aside and have a cup of coffee with them. Help them understand that next time, they need to call first, because writing is important to you. Gently teach them to respect what you do.
From time to time, emergencies happen. I’m not talking about those times that your grandchild is sick at school and you’re asked to pick him up because your daughter is stuck at work. Or, your husband’s car breaks down and you need to go rescue him.
Those things are a normal part of life. They happen to everyone. Don’t forget to live. Just be aware of distractions and change the ones you can. When you do, you will find that writer’s block isn’t really a problem anymore, and you will feel more motivated to write.
Step 5 – Motivation
When we’re motivated to write, we have less writer’s block. That’s because we have an investment in it. I don’t mean a monetary investment, though many do have that as well, but an investment into your own creativity.
We all do things we don’t want to do. We have to go to work. We have to go grocery shopping. We have to clean the house. We don’t want to, but we have to. That investment gives us a different kind of result. I’m talking about investing ourselves on a much bigger scale.
I’m talking about being fully invested in our art. We want to put our best foot forward with our writing so that we produce quality work.
Once we are fully invested in our writing, we start to feel motivated again. Once we feel motivated again, writer’s block will simply melt away.
Step 6 – Simplify
It’s simple, really. Sometimes we overthink writing and mess things up. I know I’ have. I know when I fuss about little things, I have a hard time getting anything done.
If I write a paragraph and go over an over it until I’m happy with it, I won’t get anything done. The creativity stage is not about editing, so don’t do it now. There is a time and a place for that, which will be later, much later.
For now, in the creativity stage when your art really comes to life, you need to keep it simple. You need to focus on just writing.
And that’s what we’re talking about here when we talk about writer’s block. We’re talking about the stage when creating the book is supposed to happen.
We don’t get writer’s block when we are in the middle of formatting our book for paperback. We don’t get writer’s block when we are doing the final proofreading. No, we know our work, and there’s plenty of it.
Writer’s block happens when we are creating it. So, keep it simple and just write.
I like to do a process I call, “writing by the seat of my pants.” It works every time, especially with fiction. I just start typing. Yes, I have a general idea about how my story is going to unfold, and what it’s going to be about, but other than that, it’s as big of a surprise to my readers as it is to me.
When I tell other writers this, they usually give me grief. They tell me it’s not supposed to be like that. I’m supposed to make a story board and plan my chapters and characters.
Well, not for me.
Perhaps that’s why I usually never struggle with writer’s block anymore. I write by the seat of my pants, letting the story unfold like the art that it is.
The creative portion of your writing should be exactly that. Creative. Let your mind go, and write your heart out.
Some people can’t write like that, and I totally respect that. But for those who think they can, just try it. You might be surprised that you won’t struggle with writer’s block very much at all.
And the best part of writing by the seat of your pants, is you get to cry right along with your readers. I remember in one of my books, I had to kill off a character. I didn’t want to, and I didn’t know it was coming.
When I realized I had to kill my beloved character, I bawled my eyes out. There was no other way around it. She was absolutely stupid, and backed herself into a corner. There was nothing this author could do.
That’s art. Be surprised by it. Be intrigued by it. Let your story flow.
Keep it simple so you can push that story into the reality it deserves.
Step 7 – Begin
The obvious cure for writer’s block is to begin writing. If it were that easy, there would be no need to write this article.
But for some, what is staring us right in the face, is not at all recognizable. All we have to do is put paper to pen, or fingers to keys. That’s it. You can read more about tips for beginner writer’s here.
Often, we overthink the plot, or rehash an idea over and over. Perhaps we spend days researching and preparing to write.
And then we never do.
It’s sounds ridiculous to think about, but it really happens to a lot of people. You’ve got your entire book in your head, but you never get it out of there.
You spend so much time in the prep work that you forget that you actually have to do it. Some blame it on writer’s block, but really, it’s just procrastination, or it’s his big brother, Fear.
Throw caution to the wind, and JUST WRITE!
Final Thoughts
Every good writer will struggle with writer’s block throughout his or her career, and that’s okay. Just learn to recognize it for what it is. Ask yourself why you really can’t get a word out. Ask yourself what is going on inside your head that is preventing you from pursuing your dreams of writing.
Once you figure out the cause of your writer’s block, you can begin to fix it. Be your own writing therapist and figure out what is stopping you. Is it fear? Is it your uncomfortable work station? Is it that nobody respects your passion, and because of that, you are putting in a poor effort?
There are many reasons we writer’s suffer from writer’s block, but the good news is we can overcome it. And once we find out why we are suffering from it, and eliminate the triggers, we won’t have to suffer from it anymore.
Try my 7 steps, and say bye-bye to writer’s block forever!
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and YouTuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world