The (not so) Great and (not so) Powerful Writers' Block
Do you remember the scene from The
Wizard of Oz where Dorothy, expecting miraculous help from the
Wonderful Whiz of a Wizard of Oz finds instead a little man with bad
hair hiding behind a curtain? She wanted someone else who could help
her—while all along she and her friends had the power they needed.
I think Writers' Block is a little bit
like that wizard. We tend to portray it as some powerful evil, making
it easy to blame every writing malady on this outside force. In
reality, Writers' Block is almost always something else, something
little, in disguise. And in ourselves—or sometimes in our
friends—we already have the power to overcome it.
 |
| This is how I feel when my writing gets stuck... |
After thinking about this for a while,
I realized that Writers' Block is a nice little term used to describe
a great number of problems... To throw in another simile, it's like
the common cold. Convenient to have one term for, but actually a
million different viruses, each with different symptoms and each with
different cures. I know I've had days when fear is my stumbling
block...on others it's confusion...on others it's laundry! During the
month of October, I'd like to discuss some of those symptoms and
cures (hopefully of the writer's block variety and not the cold
variety—I just got over one of the latter and would rather not
repeat it...), and I'd love to know what you think about it as well.
What are your sources of Writers' Block? And what are your best
remedies?
"In reality, Writers' Block is almost always something else, something little, in disguise."
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Faith! One of my biggest is fear of failure--and success. Weird, but there are many times that's the culprit. Next to that is the busyness of life. Looking forward to your posts this month!
~Debbie
Oh, I was SO disappointed as a child the first time the wizard was revealed to be a humbug! But yes, writers block is a bunch of different maladies labeled with one big "block" of a name. I think it's easier to solve if we can define it better. If I'm blocked, I probably just made a big wrong turn in a WIP or am about to. So I look for the false note. Once I find it and cut it, I'm fine.
ReplyDeleteI don't typically have writer's block, but there are times when I have a hard time writing, like if I'm very sick, or if there is too much chaos. Writing is a luxury for me and other things have to be in order to give that space to my stories in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI find that outside deadlines cure any block I may have. Also, if I'm getting paid to write, I don't ever have writer's block.
Writers' block visits me when I have trouble setting aside uninterrupted chunks of time to write. If I only have short periods of time, I'm too easily distracted and discouraged. I find myself doing more editing/rewriting but I can't make any forward progress. One remedy is sometimes to do some more research. Finding some new fact or even seeing something presented a different way can sometimes inspire me to jump back in. Or it can make me rethink what I was going to do -- opening up a new direction for the story.
ReplyDeleteTimely post,Faith.
ReplyDeleteMost times I can get through if I go to my local cafe and make myself stay and write (without distractions from home). Other times, I take a few days off.
Neither is working at the moment, sigh.
I can find a million distractions when the words aren't flowing, even though I know I need to just keep writing. It's usually a sign that something more exciting needs to happen in my WIP - something that makes me want to write to find out what's going to happen next!
ReplyDeleteOh, Faith, I love your posts. They're so RIGHT ON. I've been having, not necessarily writer's block, but writing SLOWNESS. I'm usually a fast writer if I know where I'm going, but with my WiP I'm moving the pace of treacle. I think it's because I'm trying to get this draft "right" instead of just enjoying it. I'm over-editing while I'm writing. I have to remember revising comes LATER!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post. I love that your laundry pile gives you writer's block, too. It definitely is a contributor to mine. :)
Amy
Fear is my ever present writers block, my constant battle. Nasty thing, fear.
ReplyDelete