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Webster’s dictionary defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.” This creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or the lack of writing skills.
If you've ever been afflicted with writer's block, you'll know it's no laughing matter. It can impede your writing for days, weeks, or even months. And while it's tempting to just ignore the problem and hope that it goes away, writer's block is one of those pests that requires active extermination.
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What causes writer’s block?
In the 1970s, clinical psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios decided to find out. After following a group of “blocked writers” for several months, they concluded that there are four broad causes of writer's block:
 Excessively harsh self-criticism
Fear of comparison to other writers
Lack of external motivation, like attention and praise
Lack of internal motivation, like the desire to tell one's story
In other words, writer's block stems from various feelings of discontent with the creative act of writing. But these feelings are by no means irreversible! After all, every writer begins with a sense of purpose and excitement; beating writer's block is about getting those feelings back. Let's jump into our tips to see how you can accomplish that.
Tips to overcome writer’s block:
1. Develop a writing routine
Author Twyla Tharp once wrote: “Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.” This might seem counterintuitive to some. Isn't creativity something that naturally ebbs and flows, not something you can schedule?
But the truth is, if you only write when you “feel creative,” you're bound to get stuck in a tar pit of writer's block. The only way to push through is by disciplining yourself to write on a regular schedule. It might be every day, every other day, or just on weekends — but whatever it is, stick to it!
2. Use "imperfect" words
As writers can spend hours looking for the perfect word or phrase to illustrate a concept. We can avoid this fruitless endeavor by putting, “In other words…” and simply writing what you’re thinking, whether it’s eloquent or not. You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for “in other words.”
3. Do non-writing activities
Children’s book editor Maria Tunney finds that one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone else’s world.
Go for a walk, go to the market, watch a movie...immerse yourself in other things to get your creativity flowing. Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty. Perhaps, then, you can return to your writing with a new spark.
4. Freewrite through it
Freewriting involves writing for a pre-set amount of time without pause — and without regard for grammar, spelling, or topic. You just write.
Of course, what you jot down may be completely irrelevant to your current project, but that doesn't matter! The goal of freewriting is to write without second-guessing yourself — free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness, all of which contribute to writer's block. Here's how to get started:
Find the right surroundings. Go somewhere you won't be disturbed.
Pick your writing utensils. Will you type at your computer, or write with pen and paper? (Tip: if you're prone to hitting the backspace button, you should freewrite the old-fashioned way!)
Settle on a time-limit. Your first time around, set your timer for just 10 minutes to get the feel for it. You can gradually increase this interval as you grow more comfortable with freewriting.
5. Relax on your first draft
Many writers suffer from perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft. Blocks often occur because we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to sound ‘right’ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.
Remember that “perfect is the enemy of good,” so don't agonize about getting it exactly right! You can always go back and edit, maybe even get a second pair of eyes on the manuscript. But for this first time around, just putting the words on the page is enough.
These ideas represent a small list of ideas to overcome the dreaded writer's block. In future newsletters, we will explore other ideas. I'd love to hear from you and how you combat this! |
"Starting a Writing Piece" by Audrey Wells 
Write about a strange word! Try going to the dictionary or thesaurus and find a word that you've never heard of. Find out about it, explain the word's meaning and write a paragraph about it.
"End Writer's Block in Just 85 Words" by Paige
Writer's Block. It hurts. Well, not literally, usually. But, it affects all of us.
My biggest complaint with writer's block is the time it sucks out of my schedule. I have precious few moments to write. Writer's Block is like a tax on that.
So, in the interest of saving your time (and mine), here's an exercise I try often to break out of Writer's Block.
"Writing Ideas Are Everywhere!" by Jay Watkins
Start by thinking about your job (and if you’re a student, a career, a home-maker, a full-time parent or an unpaid volunteer worker, that counts as well). Think about whether there are there aspects of this which would be of interest to ordinary people, or people who do similar jobs to you (or would like to).
"Over Coming Writers Block" by RedIniquity
One of the things that I have learn to help me with this issue is writing exercises. Something that helps force me stay with limitations and boundaries. By focusing more on the technical side of it instead of the creative side of it, it helps me move past the writer's block.
"The Writer's Atmosphere" by Ben W. Gardner
Ideas are everywhere. Every daydream is a story. Every conflict in life holds the kernel of a scene for a novel ("If I had won the Powerball, I would...") These are what we call "hooks", the central feature of any situation that becomes a novel. Recognize them when they happen and build on them. (By the way, these hooks make great loglines for screenplays, too.) |
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What are your best methods for eliminating writer's block?
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Drama: May 19, 2021 Issue [#10743]
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