Writer’s Block and how to fight it

December 23rd, 2016

Writer’s block is that awkward moment when you neither give up nor can do something you want to do because of reasons. It’s a moment of mysteriosity in the life of anyone who ever tried to do something. Writers usually suffer from it much more substantial than the others, thus the informal title.

What is Writer’s Block?

In a way, the writer’s block is something of a friend who overstays his welcome. It’s been an excellent time to have a little pause, a moment of calmness, and now you need to make a segue and start working — but no, you can’t.

Sometimes you excite yourself up too much towards a particular project, and at a specific moment — you’re unable to because you’re afraid to fail to live up to expectation. That’s where Writer’s Block kicks in with a purposeful grimace and a terrible vacuous presence.

The difference between writer’s block and procrastination?

Some say that it is the form of procrastination. That’s not correct. Procrastination is when you’re doing something else instead of what you need to do, thus postponing the result with possibly catastrophic consequences.

Instead, Writer’s Block is a full stop. You sit at your desk, staring at the screen or sheet of paper and have no idea what to do. It’s perplexing and petrifying. And utterly irritating. You feel empty. No thoughts — no words. It can go as far as deleting the material you already have assembled — because it’s not as good as it needs to be.

Writer’s Block is one unpredictable bastard. There’s no universal recipe on how to battle it. About ten years ago, one of my professors said that the best way to fight writer’s block is to “take it easy.” If only he could clarify what he meant under “taking it easy.”

Anyway, here’s a few tips that might help to ease the suffering or even overcome our ill-beloved bloke called Writer’s Block.

How to fight Writer’s Block? Tips and tricks

1 ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM

Writer’s block is not something that you can prevent. You can’t even foresee its coming. It just happens and has to admit that you have an issue. After that, you need to start dealing with it. If not — good luck then. I hope your eyesight will not fail you after a while.

Understanding the source of the problem is a crucial part of fixing it. Think about the reasons for having The Block — what stopped you? Don’t say “everything.” It’s probably not true. Is it the general idea that is somewhat lacking and off-putting? Or you’re not sure how to express it? Or you have trouble with structuring the whole thing?

Sometimes the block kicks in because you’re not ready to start — you’ve made not enough research, and your overall plan is a bit vague and somewhat ambiguous. In such a case, you just need to go back and do more research. That might help. If not — do it again until it works.

2 ROCK AROUND THE BLOCK

Exactly. When you understand your problem, it becomes far less imposing. You know its shape and its position. And so you can maneuver yourself around it.

You need to understand what you can do in your situation. You can do it by sketching various parts of the text, noting some crucial details to be incorporated in the text at a later stage, and then combining it by putting the meat on the bones of notes and sketches.

3 EVOKE A BRAINSTORM

YEAH! Brainstorm is Writer’s Block worst enemy.

Brainstorm comes in and shoots that damn block-bloke right in the face. And you don’t even notice it. No thing does it better.

Brainstorming on a particular subject can eliminate Writer’s Block with such extreme prejudice that, in retrospect, you may consider that act a war crime.

But it’s not just a Brainstorm that kills the Writer’s Block — it’s a Brainstorm of utterly destitute ideas. Why bother brainstorming something intentionally wrong? Because it is more comfortable.

The writer’s block stands against any creative movement, especially a positive one, imagine what will happen to the fellow if there will be a whole lot of negative whirls going on around. Intentionally terrible thoughts, lacking expressions, horrendous imagery — you can almost hear block screaming abhorrent eldritch “AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!”.

Writer’s block can’t stand that torture, and after a while — negative brainstorm transforms into a positive one, and you can start working again.

However, sometimes because of intense negativity, you deepen your inability to work. But there’s a trick to avoid it — the so-called Alan Coren method. In short, it is — skips the first and second ideas and go straight to the third (or further).

4 NEVER MIND THE DISTRACTIVE DOUBTS

AKA “another useful tip that says nothing substantial.”

The writer’s block has one very powerful collaborator inside you. And his name is “Inner Editor” — the one who points out minor issues (that will be fixed in the second draft anyway) while you’re deep in the flow writing like hell. He takes you out because you’re not attentive to the comas and continuity or some other thing. He also puts Distractive Doubts in you.

Since you can’t keep up with the correct use of comas — how dare you to write?

While he’s reasonable (to put it kindly), he helps to install the reign of terror by Writer’s block. He’s turned on you. Kill him mercilessly. Since Inner Editor is not a living person — you can resurrect him later.

5 Laughter in the face of Writer’s block aka THE ULTIMATE WEAPON

Even keeping the other tips in mind — remember — Writer’s Block is the unpredictable and ruthless dissident aggressor. He brings inaction on the grounds of vanity and shatters your rock-solid motivation with the Hammer of the High Hopes.

Don’t let him do it if no other tip will help you — here something I consider an ace in the hole.

Pretend The Block is some jacked guy in a pink ballet costume — laugh at him. Laugh hard — as hard as you can. Writer’s block doesn’t like to be laughed at. He considers it an insult. And in riposte, he will turn its non-existent back and walk away offended. Even if this tip is just syrupy wishful thinking — it worked for me once. And I heard The Block slamming the door.

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As you can see — Writer’s block is like flu. If you don’t take action on it — it will kill. But if you will — it’s a joke.