Writer's block is a myth, in my opinion.
Writer's block is a temporary setback. It's something that happens to writers who reach a difficult point in their work in progress and can't move forward. Imagine you're walking down a path and come to a fence. You can't walk through it, so what do you do?
Sit down and cry? Wail to anyone in earshot that there's a fence in your way? Maybe someone will come along and remove it for you.
Pretty unlikely, right?
Approach 'writer's block' the same way you would a fence in your path. Look for solutions.
Can you climb over it? If not, can you crawl under it? No? Why not take a stroll alongside it in either direction to see if it ends, or if there's a gate. No? Now what?
Sit down and cry, right?
Well, that seems like a big waste of energy and it won't accomplish anything.
Maybe it's time to rethink the path you've chosen. Is there a different way to get where you're going? Why not backtrack a few steps to a point where you were certain and look at different possibilities. Still no solution? Then perhaps you should change your destination and leave that path for now.
No, don't give up, and never delete. Just set it aside. Work on a different project for a while.
Shifting gears keeps creativity flowing and distracts your brain from what seems like an immovable obstacle. When pressure is removed, often a solution becomes clear. It's like when you can't think of someone's name but it's on the tip of your tongue. The harder you try, the more elusive it gets. As soon as you stop trying to remember and shift focus elsewhere it often pops right into your head.
The brain is a sucker for misdirection.
Later, when you revisit the path, you will be ready to tackle the fence. Maybe you'll bring a ladder, a pair of bolt cutters, or show up driving a bulldozer, but one way or another you will find a way through.
~*~
A Bad Poem About Writer's Block
Staring at the empty page
Wondering what to write
A poem, story, a song perhaps?
Yet the page stayed blank despite
…the endless possibilities
Perhaps a dirty limerick
With that old familiar line
“There once was a”…a what?
Looking around for some sign
…to tell me what to write
The thing that’s known as Writer’s Block
Every writer knows too well
Desire to write with mind that’s blank
Can put anyone through hell
…even bad ideas would be welcome
Frustration gets the best of me
I put my pen away
Go find something else to do
Maybe today is not the day
…I’ll write that first bestseller
Glancing down as I close the book
Much to my delight
I’d written something after all!
The page was no longer white
…a bad poem about Writer’s Block
~*~
The point is, write something - anything - even if it isn't what you intended to write. Keep the creativity flowing.
Writer's block is a temporary setback. It's something that happens to writers who reach a difficult point in their work in progress and can't move forward. Imagine you're walking down a path and come to a fence. You can't walk through it, so what do you do?
Sit down and cry? Wail to anyone in earshot that there's a fence in your way? Maybe someone will come along and remove it for you.
Pretty unlikely, right?
Approach 'writer's block' the same way you would a fence in your path. Look for solutions.
Can you climb over it? If not, can you crawl under it? No? Why not take a stroll alongside it in either direction to see if it ends, or if there's a gate. No? Now what?
Sit down and cry, right?
Well, that seems like a big waste of energy and it won't accomplish anything.
Maybe it's time to rethink the path you've chosen. Is there a different way to get where you're going? Why not backtrack a few steps to a point where you were certain and look at different possibilities. Still no solution? Then perhaps you should change your destination and leave that path for now.
No, don't give up, and never delete. Just set it aside. Work on a different project for a while.
Shifting gears keeps creativity flowing and distracts your brain from what seems like an immovable obstacle. When pressure is removed, often a solution becomes clear. It's like when you can't think of someone's name but it's on the tip of your tongue. The harder you try, the more elusive it gets. As soon as you stop trying to remember and shift focus elsewhere it often pops right into your head.
The brain is a sucker for misdirection.
Later, when you revisit the path, you will be ready to tackle the fence. Maybe you'll bring a ladder, a pair of bolt cutters, or show up driving a bulldozer, but one way or another you will find a way through.
~*~
A Bad Poem About Writer's Block
Staring at the empty page
Wondering what to write
A poem, story, a song perhaps?
Yet the page stayed blank despite
…the endless possibilities
Perhaps a dirty limerick
With that old familiar line
“There once was a”…a what?
Looking around for some sign
…to tell me what to write
The thing that’s known as Writer’s Block
Every writer knows too well
Desire to write with mind that’s blank
Can put anyone through hell
…even bad ideas would be welcome
Frustration gets the best of me
I put my pen away
Go find something else to do
Maybe today is not the day
…I’ll write that first bestseller
Glancing down as I close the book
Much to my delight
I’d written something after all!
The page was no longer white
…a bad poem about Writer’s Block
~*~
The point is, write something - anything - even if it isn't what you intended to write. Keep the creativity flowing.