Or, What is Writer’s Block? Samuel Coleridge gave us some great poems, but he also gave us the scourge of writer's block. Here's what I think writer's block really is -- and why we should all stop using that term.
I enjoyed this piece a lot. I’m of the “it’s a myth” school of thought. The advice that someone once gave me and that I repeat to whoever will listen is: barf it out. Revision will take care of the rest.
Thanks Tom - glad you liked it! Yes, I'm big on writing with wild abandon myself. Helps overcome many things that are blocking you, but it also boosts creativity, I find. Get that lump of clay down and fashion it later.
I love the concept that "writer's block is a myth," as I always feel I am just prioritizing other things in life (as in your previous post on "Lack of time..."). I do agree with creative block like you said. As an artist, when I'm feeling writer's block/creative block, I clear my mind by stepping away (especially from comparison monster on social media) and stop thinking about what other people would like to see. If I create with other people's visions or what I think others want or what would sell, then I get stuck. When I explore my inner feelings, inspiration comes and I paint from there, then share it with the world if I want to. Some might say, with wild abandon ;) Thanks for the great articles, Graham, they always give me something to reflect upon!
Ah, well -- keep an eye out for the creative block post then!
(I have a feeling you and I may have discussed this at one point? Maybe not... Either way, we'll talk about it soon enough... lol)
Stepping away when things aren't working well is always a good strategy. Often, our brains are too tired or overworked or preoccupied to be creative. Recharging the creative well is equally important. And yes, writing or painting for yourself first is always a great strategy too. Get it down, and *then* decide if you want to show it.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the articles, Cindy! Thanks for adding your thoughts!
Great post, Graham. Important, too. I often think that when writers claim to have writer's block it's simply because they don't yet really know the story they're telling. They don't know what happens next so they stall for a time. I wonder if it might help if we broadened our definition of "writing" beyond actually crafting sentences in the manuscript to also include story planning and plotting, character development, and even research on our settings and time periods. If we consider all aspects of novel development as "writing," perhaps no one would ever have writer's block again. As you know, I'm an inveterate, even extreme, outliner. Before I write the first word in my manuscript, I spend more than a year working on the story I'll eventually tell and on the characters, plot points, setting, etc. In the end, I have a chapter-by-chapter bullet point outline that runs 85-95 pages. The upshot is I never have what many consider to be "writer's block" because I have this detailed outline guiding me when writing my manuscript. But I still consider all the work to develop my outline to be "writing."
That's a great point about not really knowing what story they're telling. Might be worth a post in itself! I've hit that wall myself in my latest novel. It's frustrating -- I have a solid idea and structure and some great motifs and some strong themes, but I still don't really know what the *story* itself is. I'll get there, I know.
I also agree that our definition of "writing" should expand. I do include things like research and even staring out the proverbial window. "It's all writing!" is a common refrain in one of my writing groups. Sometimes these things just work themselves out in the "non-writing" writing phase... lol.
I think the most insidious part of writer's block is that it's a negative feedback loop. A writer gets "blocked" and they get in their head and they worry too much about that and not enough about simply getting words on the page. That's why so many people will say that the cure for writer's block is to write -- but of course, that often is not particularly *useful* advice in and of itself. (Maybe that explanation is worth a post in itself, too...)
Hey all - this post was a little later today. I was between meetings and noticed that today's posts, which I had scheduled for 7:30 this morning, hadn't been sent. Turned out I scheduled it for tomorrow instead of today by accident...
I enjoyed this piece a lot. I’m of the “it’s a myth” school of thought. The advice that someone once gave me and that I repeat to whoever will listen is: barf it out. Revision will take care of the rest.
Thanks Tom - glad you liked it! Yes, I'm big on writing with wild abandon myself. Helps overcome many things that are blocking you, but it also boosts creativity, I find. Get that lump of clay down and fashion it later.
I love the concept that "writer's block is a myth," as I always feel I am just prioritizing other things in life (as in your previous post on "Lack of time..."). I do agree with creative block like you said. As an artist, when I'm feeling writer's block/creative block, I clear my mind by stepping away (especially from comparison monster on social media) and stop thinking about what other people would like to see. If I create with other people's visions or what I think others want or what would sell, then I get stuck. When I explore my inner feelings, inspiration comes and I paint from there, then share it with the world if I want to. Some might say, with wild abandon ;) Thanks for the great articles, Graham, they always give me something to reflect upon!
Ah, well -- keep an eye out for the creative block post then!
(I have a feeling you and I may have discussed this at one point? Maybe not... Either way, we'll talk about it soon enough... lol)
Stepping away when things aren't working well is always a good strategy. Often, our brains are too tired or overworked or preoccupied to be creative. Recharging the creative well is equally important. And yes, writing or painting for yourself first is always a great strategy too. Get it down, and *then* decide if you want to show it.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the articles, Cindy! Thanks for adding your thoughts!
Great post, Graham. Important, too. I often think that when writers claim to have writer's block it's simply because they don't yet really know the story they're telling. They don't know what happens next so they stall for a time. I wonder if it might help if we broadened our definition of "writing" beyond actually crafting sentences in the manuscript to also include story planning and plotting, character development, and even research on our settings and time periods. If we consider all aspects of novel development as "writing," perhaps no one would ever have writer's block again. As you know, I'm an inveterate, even extreme, outliner. Before I write the first word in my manuscript, I spend more than a year working on the story I'll eventually tell and on the characters, plot points, setting, etc. In the end, I have a chapter-by-chapter bullet point outline that runs 85-95 pages. The upshot is I never have what many consider to be "writer's block" because I have this detailed outline guiding me when writing my manuscript. But I still consider all the work to develop my outline to be "writing."
Thanks Terry - glad you like it!
That's a great point about not really knowing what story they're telling. Might be worth a post in itself! I've hit that wall myself in my latest novel. It's frustrating -- I have a solid idea and structure and some great motifs and some strong themes, but I still don't really know what the *story* itself is. I'll get there, I know.
I also agree that our definition of "writing" should expand. I do include things like research and even staring out the proverbial window. "It's all writing!" is a common refrain in one of my writing groups. Sometimes these things just work themselves out in the "non-writing" writing phase... lol.
I think the most insidious part of writer's block is that it's a negative feedback loop. A writer gets "blocked" and they get in their head and they worry too much about that and not enough about simply getting words on the page. That's why so many people will say that the cure for writer's block is to write -- but of course, that often is not particularly *useful* advice in and of itself. (Maybe that explanation is worth a post in itself, too...)
Thanks for chiming in, Terry!
~Graham
Hey all - this post was a little later today. I was between meetings and noticed that today's posts, which I had scheduled for 7:30 this morning, hadn't been sent. Turned out I scheduled it for tomorrow instead of today by accident...
In any case, it's out now! Enjoy!
~Graham
Loved the use of images throughout this edition, and especially loved the cover image! Great post, Graham!
Thanks Punit! Yes, I love that cover image. Suits Coleridge's story AND the concept of trying to overcoming "writer's block" perfectly, methinks.
Glad you like it!