What is Writer's Block:
Writer’s block is one of those things people don’t really understand until they go through it themselves. It’s difficult to describe as everyone experiences it differently. I once told a friend it was like my brain had stopped braining. I forget character names. I can’t think what they would say or do. Stories I was so proud of, so eager to write now read like rubbish. It’s infuriating and frustrating and so very hard to overcome.
The last time I had writer’s block I stopped writing for almost a year. It was awful, no matter how many times I sat down to write the words simply wouldn’t come and I considered giving up my dream of becoming an author all together.
What causes writer’s block?
There are many causes of writer's block including:
1. Stress, anxiety and other strong emotions such as grief.
Any strong emotions, especially negative ones can affect your ability to think. As someone who has suffered through depression, I can attest to this. Stress and anxiety are the same.
2. Physical health issues such as illness or fatigue.
When you don’t feel well writing can be one of the last things you feel like doing. When you’re lying in bed with a migraine or bundled up on the sofa nibbling dry toast with a bucket beside you, writing is the farthest thing from your mind
3. Fear related to writing such as worrying about getting negative feedback or feeling pressured (either by yourself or by others) to produce high-quality or “perfect” writing.
Perfectionism is a dangerous creature. At first you might not notice it. You just read a page you’ve written and think it needs a little polish. Then it needs a little more. Then more. And more. And more. And a little more. Until a month has passed and you’ve not written another word, you’ve just been obsessing over the one page you’ve written.
Does this sound like personal experience? It is.
Fear of criticism or rejection is another common cause of writer’s block. Writing at home, where no one will ever see it is safe but the moment you think about putting it out there for the world to see it suddenly becomes unsafe. What if people don’t like it? What if they decide to tell you they don’t like it? What if they hate it? What if they hate it so much, they hold a festival all about how much they hate it? (Okay, that one is a little far-fetched but when you’re scared nothing seems too far-fetched.)
4. Not planning your writing.
I’m not talking about plotting your work. Some people don’t need to plot their stories, and some people do (I’m eclectic in that department). What I’m talking about here is planning your writing time. These plans don’t have to be big or complicated. They can be as simple as ‘I will write for 10 minutes before bed’. When you don’t plan your writing time it’s easy to say, ‘I’ll write tomorrow’ then tomorrow its ‘I’m too busy today, I’ll write tomorrow’ and so on until ‘tomorrow’ never comes around.
5. Outside distractions such as being too busy or other obligations taking up your writing time.
Life happens. This isn’t something you can control but you can control your reactions to it. Okay, the car needs to go to the garage, the dog needs bathing, you’ve got to go for an extra shift at work, the fridge is empty, and you promised to go out with your friends. Is there time to write? It’s easy to say no, that you’ll leave it this week and start again next week. Before you know it, months have passed and not once have you sat down to write.
How to overcome writer’s block:
While there’s no ‘cure’ for writer’s block there are things you can do to get back into the flow of writing. But please bear in mind everyone is different. What works for me might not work for you. Take these tips as a starting point and adapt them to suit your needs. And of course, reach out for professional help if you’re really struggling with your mental health or your health in general.
1. Stress, anxiety and other strong emotions such as grief.
Knowing yourself and your mind is vital. Learning to spot the early signs of stress and anxiety allows you to deal with them before they develop into larger issues that require professional help.
Whenever I feel myself starting to get down in the dumps, I like to take myself on a pamper day. I bake chocolate chip cookies (extra chocolate), create a cosy fort on the sofa and spend the day relaxing. I’ll do a facemask, light a candle, read a book (usually one that makes me laugh – anything from Alice Winters usually achieves that), maybe I’ll watch TV. Sometimes, I’ll take myself off to the shops and buy myself some flowers and of course I take my little dog on an extra long walk. Nothing makes me smile like watching him run around having the time of his life.
If a single day isn’t enough to shake away the blues, I know that I need to tackle things differently. I need to think long-term.
Reducing my writing obligations is something I do whenever I feel myself getting into a funk. This may sound counterintuitive but it’s better to write a little than nothing at all. Even if you only write a sentence, it’s something and something is better than nothing.
I let myself move at a slower pace until I’m feeling better. I take my time and have more breaks than usual. I finish working early and spend an extra hour or two relaxing in the evenings. I also give myself more time in the morning to wake up before I get stuck into my writing. Usually, my funk will last a week then I slowly build up my writing habits to pre-funk levels.
Top Tip: Knowing what makes you relax and what makes you happy is important. How can you cheer yourself up if you don’t know what makes you smile? Spend time learning about yourself and give yourself a break when things don’t go to plan or you have a blue patch. Take care of yourself until it passes. And remember, seek out professional help if you need it.
2. Physical health issues such as illness or fatigue.
Sometimes you must accept that you won’t be getting any writing done. We’re human, we get sick. No one wants to be writing poetry while lying on the bathroom floor after eating some dodgy chicken. The good news is a lot of the time bouts of sickness are short. A few days and you’ll be over the worst of it and getting back into the swing of things.
Long-term illness is different. I am not a health professional so please seek a professional’s help if you need it. When I talk about long-term illness, I’m referring to things like a persistent cold or a few weeks of fatigue.
When it comes to long-term illness, I usually take a similar approach to above. I slow down and let myself work at my own pace. I try to sit down to write daily, sometimes I’ll write for an hour then the next day I’ll write a sentence and decide I’m done. So long as I write something I’m pleased with myself. Keeping momentum going is often the key to preventing writer’s block from setting in. So long as you’re writing something you’re exercising your writing and creative muscles. It’s when these muscles seize that writer’s block can set it.
3. Fear related to writing such as worrying about getting negative feedback or feeling pressured (either by yourself or by others) to produce high-quality or “perfect” writing.
Silencing your inner critic is difficult. My only advice is to not let it stop you. Don’t edit as you go. Keep ploughing on. I have written some truly awful first drafts. I’ve had characters mysteriously come back from the dead. I’ve had characters change name three or four times. I’ve switched from 3rd to 1st person and back again. But I never stopped to ‘fix’ any of those issues. The first draft of anything is never ‘perfect’. Ask any author. In fact, I’m sure most of them would also admit to wanting to ‘fix’ things in their published work.
Mindset is important and unfortunately, it’s something you must learn for yourself. Silencing your inner voice is a skill you learn over time.
When it comes to sharing your work, you just need to be brave and give it to someone (I know that might like a little blasé but trust me). For some giving it to a friend is easier, for others they prefer to show it to a stranger. I’ve done both. The first time I presented work for a writing workshop I thought I was going to be sick. I sat in silence watching every facial twitch and wondering what it meant. I nodded along to their feedback, not really absorbing it. After I walked away it hit me. They were smiling when they spoke. They must have liked it. The second time I brought work in for workshopping it was a little less scary. It was a little easier to listen to the feedback.
When I gave my first novel to my family to read, I couldn’t bear to be in the room with them while they read it. When I dared to ask them what they thought I was making a cup of tea. I almost dropped the milk when they said they liked it and asked me questions about the characters. We chatted over tea and biscuits and suddenly it seemed silly to be scared.
That doesn’t mean I still don’t get a little flutter of panic every time I show my work to someone; I’ve just learnt the world doesn’t end.
Top tip: Keep a record of all the positive feedback you receive. I have a small notebook where I write down every nice comment I receive plus copies of reviews of my published work. Whenever I need a boost of confidence I read through them.
When it comes to writer’s block fear of what people will say about your work can stall you. Sometimes fear of going back and reading what you wrote does the same. There’s no magic cure for fear as much as we’d all like one. You simply must be brave enough to try. Show a short story, a poem, or a page to someone (you pick friend or stranger). I know you’ve heard this before, but it won’t be as bad as you think.
4. Not planning your writing.
In my experience this is the biggest cause of writer’s block. In the words of the old adage ‘failure to plan is to plan to fail’ (or something along those lines). Planning your writing time is vital to building a writing habit and once writing is a habit it becomes harder to not write than it is to write. I’ve built up enough of a writing habit that missing a day makes me feel a little off.
Consider this, writing is a type of exercise (metal exercise I grant you but exercise nonetheless) when you decide to start a new exercise regime you don’t go from zero to a hundred. That leads to pulled muscles and strains. You must build up to it gradually. Writing is the same. Start small – five minutes a day, a paragraph, 100 words, whatever you prefer. Then add to it. Strengthen your muscles until you reach your goal. Once you’ve built up your writing muscles maintain them by continuously using them. Over time using those muscles will become easier, it will require less effort. One day you’ll realise you want to try a new exercise regime, and the process will repeat only this time you’ll start a new place.
In this analogy writer’s block is detraining (when you stop exercising suddenly). When it strikes all that hard work you put into building your muscles, stamina and endurance take a nosedive and you’re left feeling drained. The best way to prevent this is not let that process begin. If you need to take a break, take a break but don’t stop. Maybe instead of taking a five-mile run you have a walk around the park, instead of an intense two-hour writing power session you do a simple 15-minute writing challenge. That way you’re giving yourself a break but you’re not stopping, just slowing down before you pick up the pace again.
5. Outside distractions such as being too busy or other obligations taking up your writing time.
This is another time when planning is paramount. Look at your workload, is there something that can wait until next week? Being able to juggle multiple obligations is a skill like any other. And one that takes practice to master.
Writing doesn’t have to be a big commitment if you really don’t have the time. You can squeeze a 10-minute writing session in anywhere. Maybe you could wake up 10-minutes earlier and write a few sentences in bed. Or do the reverse and stay up an extra 10-minutes.
I hope these tips and examples have been helpful to you. Remember, writer’s block manifests differently for everyone and everyone will tackle it differently. There’s no single cause or solution to it. That’s also the case for each time you get writer’s block, it never expresses itself in the same way. You must always be aware of your own mind so you can recognise it the moment it tries to come after you. And remember, there is no shame in asking for help whether that’s from a friend or a doctor.
P.S. You’re welcome to drop me an email using the contact form on this website. Alternatively check out my Facebook group (link here). Together we can build a community of readers and writes who support each other.