Like a dreaded disease with no known cause it strikes at any time – WRITER’S BLOCK!! At any given time of the day around the globe writers are suddenly struck witless and incapable of writing. With no known cure, l are forced to wait out the sickness until, like the sun rising after a night of stormy terror, it passes and the afflicted are able once again to formulate whole sentences and paragraphs.
Actually, I don’t believe in writer’s block and I just don’t get it. Sure I have days when I write less or just get less done but it’s not something insurmountable, dreaded or mysterious. If a writer is suddenly having trouble there is/are reason(s) and it’s important to nail that down so you can get back to doing what you enjoy. Do I think it’s something chronic like “tennis elbow”? No.
Why do is disregard writer’s block? Simple, ever heard of one of those old newspaper writers getting it? Not really. They just wrote when necessary, for a job – and survival. When you must write in such an environment you do it and move on. You develop a confidence that you can write when necessary and you reach for it like a well-used tool and get to work.
Similarly, with the daily blog schedule that I maintain, I’ve found that the notion of a block goes by the wayside. Uncertainty has been replaced by confidence to write daily and often with increasing an improving word count. I’ve found this helps me a great deal with fiction too. I recently sat down to a book project I haven’t touched in months. I looked at where I was and started writing. I’ve exercised my writing muscles to the point that I can just write without much thought. Sure things can get to be a grind but you can grind through circumstances and come out stronger on the other side – like running uphill, do it often and you get good at it. I’ll share my own experience with a week of grinding in an upcoming post and how it affected me.
But why would you suddenly stop writing? What could be wrong? There could be any number of reasons. I find that journaling addresses many of these reasons. If my mind is telling the rest of me that there’s a problem with the story then I need to explore that. Suppose something has upset me and I’m must ignoring a situation. That could be gnawing at my mental focus – it needs to get out and journaling helps with that.
However, there are other reasons you might have trouble writing consistently and with focus. Lack of sleep is one. If you are not refreshed you will not have the mental energy required to write. Getting exercise is another answer. I run regularly but many writers and other creative people have historically taken daily walks in the afternoon. What happens on such occasions is that the mind works through all kinds ideas, problems, emotions and ideas are synchronized.
Also, if you find that your motivation is low. Seek further help. I’ve found the book, The Artist’s Way, to be extremely helpful in getting re-started as a writer. The book explores reasons why you don’t do anything creatively. Check it out and see if this helps you get jump-started.
Regardless of what’s going on with your writing, you shouldn’t sit like the victim of a debilitating disease call WRITER’S BLOCK. There are reasons you’ve stopped flowing creatively. You can overcome them – sometimes in a short space of time. You can live creatively. You can maintain your creativity. Just go digging for your answers to the why.
But what about just coming to the end of what you have to say? Why is it so hard to blog regularly? I’ll address some of these related issues in the near future.
Is something stopping you from writing? How do you work through your issues with creativity? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.