There are, from what I’ve seen and heard before, two types of writer’s block.
There’s the “I don’t want to sit down and work on that book right now!” type of block. This is basically procrastination and just not wanting to make time for a difficult activity.
There’s also the second type…and I know they do exist because I received an email from one of them recently…of people who are staring at a blank screen with panic. And I think the problem is that they don’t know why their block is happening or what to try to do to fix it.
I’ve heard it said that there isn’t any such thing as writer’s block. That handymen don’t get handyman’s block and doctors don’t get doctor’s block. That’s true, but they’re not building worlds in their heads. I’ll admit that I don’t get writer’s block—but there are some days when I do hesitate a lot while writing. I know it’s all coming out wrong. I know it’s going to have to be fixed. I know it’s bad writing.
But I just keep on spewing out crappy writing because I know I’ll fix it later.
I think, though, that people who genuinely see a blank screen and freeze up for long periods of time are really just afraid. They’re afraid of failure. They want so badly to write something well that they just choke up.
I think the best way to deal with those feelings is to continue writing. To give myself permission to completely fail while expressing my ideas on paper, with the knowledge that I will make it all better with revisions.
These are some helpful posts on writer’s block that I’ve come across in the past:
21 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block—the Pros and Cons of just writing through it
A resource roundup to solving writer’s block
Overcoming Writer’s Block
The underlying cause of writer’s block—fear of failure
If you’ve gotten blocked before, how did you work through it. If you don’t get blocked, what advice can you offer folks who do?
The only writing that I absolutely *do* everyday is my blog post, and that I somehow manage to do writers’ block or no writers’ block.
The rest of the day is so hectic, I don’t have a daily quota for any other writing, so I guess I would never know if I do suffer from it or not.
But, great post, all the same. One I will be sure to bookmark to return to when I do get a fixed writing schedule going. Thank you.
I am usually surprised at how much I end up writing when I just sit down and do it. I am a master at finding other things to do. I have periods where I am less creative, but just showing up seems to take care of the blank page problem.
Elizabeth – Thanks for this post. I agree completely with you that writer’s block happens because of fear. Whether it’s fear of failure or some other kind of fear, it’s fear. I have to admit; I haven’t faced that kind of writer’s block myself, but when I have faced writer’s block, I get through it by just sitting down and writing whatever is there – even if it’s just a few sentences, or a character sketch or something. Once I see those black words on that white screen, I often get “unlocked.”
I normally don’t run into writer’s block as you’ve described it. But I’ve found that there’s a third type of writer’s block. It’s what happens when you’re too sick to write. I experienced that for the first time at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, when my thyroid condition, which had been misdiagnosed for several years, was reaching a critical point. It’s why it took me more than a year to complete the first draft of my latest manuscript when usually I complete a first draft in 2-3 months. But notice that I still found a way to finish the manuscript. :-)
Suzanne Adair
Fear keeps us from many pursuits. My writer’s block, when it occurs, is just plain discouragement. Having a blog has helped that immensely.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
I’m like you – I just keep writing whether it’s good or not. It’s difficult sometimes, because I am a perfectionist, but I just make myself do it.
I’ve “suffered” from both types of writers block. I know the first one requires that I simply go sit in the chair and get busy so there’s really no excuse for it. For the second, I sometimes go back to edit a different scene in hopes that a fresh idea will pop into my head in the process. Sometimes it works, other times I have to go out for a walk instead.
I think you’re absolutely right about the fear-induced writer’s block, perhaps we should call it writer’s yips! That I suffer from constantly although I remind myself that no one sees the really bad writing except me. The problem is the harsh self-judgments when I reread!
I definitely suffer from the procrastination type of writer’s block. I also suffer from doubter’s block. Every time I get going on a project I’ll find myself questioning and second guessing everything I’ve just written. Its part of the perfectionist in me I suppose. Wish I could turn that part of me off sometimes.
I think you’re right, but I think it is ALSO related to expectations. I think people who’ve written a few ‘really inspired’ things that flow nicely right from the start may think all writing is like that… your ‘writing slow’ days (which I have too)–where you have to press out every word–they see as a block, because if it doesn’t FLOW they aren’t the right words… or something. When in fact I see writing as MUCH MORE about perserverence.
If something REALLY just won’t flow, I get out a notebook and plot a little, write on something else… and then the next day, on a walk or something, I will usually work past my blockage. (though OFTEN plotting ahead will do it–I will get the detail I can grab onto that makes the current scene move again).
You’re so right. Yes, writing is HARD. We deal with our own ‘will it be good enough?’ fears. But you can’t fix a blank page. Once you have something to fix, you can work with it.
Maybe that’s why I can’t outline or plot very far ahead. All those ‘I can’t do this’ moments at once would scare me enough to think about giving it all up.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
As someone who has written for many years, has many friends who are pro writers, and has taught writing, I think that procrastination isn’t writer’s block. Neither is fear. All writers fear, but those who are true writers persevere.
There are two types of writer’s block. The most common is caused by not knowing what you want to write at the beginning or by losing your way in what you are writing. Your subconscious won’t let you write until you figure out where you went wrong or which way you want to go.
The worst is close to clinical depression, and it’s the variety that only experienced writers get. It happens when the writer gets hit by so many disappointments and failures that she becomes punch drunk and so depressed she can see no way forward with her career.
When your agent dumps you, that editor who was going to buy your book leaves and the new editor dumps you, the market for the kind of book you want to write disappears, or the rejections grow fast and furious, this insidious block can appear, and only the lucky few who can keep moving keep writing.
Rayna–You’re very disciplined with your blog! And I can imagine how hard it is to fit writing in with the schedule you have. But for you–your drabbles are writing, too. Not just a warm-up–real writing.
Suzanne–I’m glad you found out what was going on! Health issues can get so scary. It sure does help with writing time when you don’t have a problem like that one to worry over.
N. R. Williams–Blogs are *great* writing exercises. I think that’s one reason I keep blogging daily.
Alex–It’s a good feeling to know we’re conquering that perfectionism, one day at a time!
Jane–Skipping the scene that’s causing me problems works for me, too. I just go on to another section of the book.
Janel–I’m with you. So frequently, I don’t even feel creative at my writing time. But still…I show up. I sit down. I pick up the laptop. I create…even if I’m not feeling creative.
Margot–Good point. Putting ANYthing down on that screen is so much better than looking at it, blank.
R.J. Edwards–The perfectionism is tough to get rid of. We’re our own worst critic! I think the permission to fail part is really critical…then we can surprise ourselves the days when the writing goes seamlessly.
Elspeth–Writer’s yips! I like that. :) That’s right–no one sees it. And we have to stop being hard on ourselves! Yes, it was a crappy writing day and we spent an hour putting really wretched stuff on the paper. But–we wrote that day. It was a day when we moved the story forward. And we didn’t give ourselves a chance to get rusty.
Hart–Good point! And those of us who slog through it every day–the days when we’re writing brilliantly and the days where we’re writing complete junk–know that we’ve just got to keep going, no matter what.
I do exactly the same thing as you–I pull out a notebook to plot the next scene. Or see how many different ways I can come up to write it, if I’m conflicted.
I don;t get blocked while writing, because I stop and go back over what I’ve already written if my enthusiasm starts to wane.
Now starting? Different story. My non-fiction project is still mocking me.
Marilynn–I think that’s a very interesting perspective.
As far as your first reason for block goes, I think you’re right that not knowing what to write next (either at the beginning or middle of a project) can make a writer blank out. As you pointed out, experience can help with that–maybe because more experienced writers are confident enough to know they can eventually figure out a direction…because they’ve done it before.
As far as your second point about block–writing can be an incredibly discouraging process–for all the reasons you’ve outlined…and more. I think of the writers I know who’ve poured everything into a book, only to have it finally published–and sell poorly. Or be met by poor reviews. I think, honestly, the ones of us who keep going must just be a little pigheaded. I’m a very stubborn person–in general, as well as in my writing. Who else can keep going when everything goes wrong?
Diane–Non-fiction is intimidating to me! All that research…I can see where it would feel really daunting to start it.
I’ve had another kind of writer’s block besides the ones mentioned: brain fatigue. A couple years ago I attempted to do NaNoWriMo. I wasn’t officially doing it, but I was using the spirit of the month to try to make progress on the novel I’d already been working on.
By some amazing luck, I had the first four days off work, lots of time to dig in. The first three days went great, ending up with about 7-8k words typed in altogether. The fourth day, even with knowing what scene I wanted to do next, I could not make my brain have anything to do with the story. Not write, not even imagine anything with it. Every time I sat down to work, I got a fierce headache. It took almost two weeks before I recovered enough to work on it again. Like a runner not prepared for a marathon, I over-exerted myself.
I have terrible, terrible writer’s block when it comes to fiction (non-fiction is usually no problem, it might be bad, but it’ll be done). I basically struggled with it for the better part of 10-15 years, wanting to write but literally not knowing what to write – I have trouble coming up with plots. My eventual solution was to write an historical novel, with a plot already in place. (Mythology works well too, I’ve toyed with mythy ideas a few times). This is helping and now I find I am coming up with my own ideas for other stories more and more, as I get used to it. And I suppose what I’m describing is a more serious situation than writer’s block – more a total lack of ideas. But I still get stumped a lot – my usual solution now is to start describing something random relating to the time or place I’m writing about (today it was a tortoise) and that seems to get the ideas flowing.
The main problem is to find time to sit down and concentrate for more than half an hour, after work,and with the family race going on, all the time … and maybe I’m sometimes a procrastinator too >:)
Cold As Heaven
Jaleh–That’s a really scary story for me! I can imagine that brains will shut down that way…they just have had enough. And for your body to throw up an obstacle for you–in the form of a headache–it was really trying to get your attention.
Terry–The more I think about it, the more freaked out I get! I try to avoid thinking about the ultimate goal (getting the book into the bookstore and into readers’ hands) while I’m writing.
Juliette–That’s a very creative way of dealing with the problem! And historical fiction has gotten really big, too…you can also fictionalize other things. I’m glad that it’s working for you. I also think it’s interesting that writing about something that’s unrelated to your story (the tortoise) works well to get your creative juices going. Maybe that’s because the pressure is off because you know you’re writing something that won’t go into your story?
Cold As Heaven–Yes, that’s a tough one. Maybe jot some stuff down in squeezed-in dead time? I “write” in the shower some days…jot it all down as soon as I get out. I know it’s crazy, but sometimes it’s the only way on the busy days…
sometimes a change of scene helps with writer’s block
I am certainly guilty of procrastination when it comes to both creative writing and business writing. In fact, I am procrastinating now. :-) You are also right about writing through your fear. You can always go back and make your work brilliant later.