The sudden appearance of writer’s block is annoying. I sat down this morning with the title of a blog post I wanted to write and a rough idea of what it would be about (cooking). However, as you can tell by reading this, I didn’t actually end up writing that post. Instead, after spending a while looking for prompts online and not feeling like any of them grabbed my attention, I’m writing this post. I’m just writing what’s on my mind at the moment, and at the moment, it’s the frustration with writer’s block’s tendency to seemingly appear out of nowhere.
For me, if I’ve been writing more consistently then ideas generally keep coming. It’s “priming the pump” of my writer’s brain. The more I write the more easily ideas will come. However, for whatever reason, there are days when I wake up knowing that I’m going to write that day and nothing will come out. I’ll have ideas, plans, an outline, maybe even a half worked piece, but the words still won’t flow as I want, the images won’t take shape and the characters won’t come to life. Writer’s block is confusing and hard to prepare for.
I notice that I tend to get frustrated with myself when this particular friend visits. I say things to myself like “why can’t I come up with anything?”, “ugh, I don’t want to write. I’m not going to enjoy it” or simply “am I burning out?”
Often, I notice that if I step away and write nothing at all, the next time I sit down to write I’ll have to wade through the muck the writer’s block left behind before I’m even able to write what I want. So, I’ve been trying a new tactic: just start writing stream of consciousness. It doesn’t have to be beautiful, powerful or creative. It doesn’t even have to be published on my blog or ever be seen by anyone else, but I just have to start writing.
I think part of writer’s block (at least for me) comes from a mixture of things. It might be mental exhaustion, emotions that are tugging at me, or simply the desire to do anything else besides write. Often it appears as a resistance to all ideas, to the very idea of sitting down with my computer or pen and paper. I’ll find my mind trying to distract itself. I’ll try to convince myself that I don’t need to write, that I should just come back another day, that I have no good ideas, that it’ll be hard, painful and frustrating.
Writer’s block is loud. It has the ability to almost overshadow all other thoughts. However, if I wait for that initial loud outburst to subside, another little voice can be heard reminding me that not everything I write needs to be wonderful. It reminds me to write, I’ll always feel better. And while the writer’s block is telling me the complete opposite, I know that little voice a lot better. It’s always around, reminding me when I stumble all I need to do is get back up and start again. Writer’s block is loud and firey, but also often shortlived. If I wait it out it will eventually pass and I’ll be able to hear that little voice again.
The little voice reminds me that writing is a process, not a destination. All I need to do is simply start writing, and it doesn’t matter what.
Indeed and Agreed.
Thanks for stopping by!
All writing, even if it’s just an exercise in stream of consciousness to get the words flowing (or a reply to another writer’s blog post), is forward progress.
That’s very true
I like the thinking here, I’ve never thought about writing a stream of consciousness but that could be fun.
Thank you! I’ve found it can be pretty fun