Writer's Block - why we do this to ourselves, and how to get past it.

Some days, I sit in front of my computer, and words pour out of me in a torrent. They might not be particularly good, but they're plentiful, and writing is easy-breezy; inspiration seems to flow endlessly and effortlessly.

Other days, I bite my lip in frustration, searching futilely for the spark that will ignite an idea and start the words coming. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I give up and go to bed.

If you're a writer, you'll know what I'm talking about. Writer's Block. It sucks. But, there are some things that I've discovered to help myself past it, and perhaps some of you will profit from that as well.

The beginning of this came to me one day, when I started thinking about why writing was so hard on some days. I realized this: writer's block is not the inability to write. People call that having broken fingers. Or fibromyalgia. Or "Ow ow stop stepping on my hand."

This might seem trivial, but for me, the first step to defeating a problem is understanding. Once I realized this, I could clarify the question; why was I deciding not to write anything? Was the problem all in my head? Was it in my story?

Turns out..it's complicated.

See, there's no one reason why writer's block shows up. It's pretty obvious when it hits, but it can strike from the blue. Here are a couple things that have blocked me from progressing.

First, is not really investing in a story.

When I don't care about something, I'll drop it. I'll marginalize it. I'll eventually forget about it. This is just the way I do things. What I realized is that it's possible to think you care about something, but not act it. I noticed I was 'working' on a story but not getting anywhere, so I let it sit. And sit. And sit.

Of course I'll have writer's block if I never work on a project!

In this case, writer's block is just a convenient excuse. I didn't really care about the story. Stories take investment. The bigger the story, the bigger the investment. Honestly, giving up is fine. No-one's pays me to write. No-one holds me accountable. A few fans may be disappointed, but worse things happen.

In the end, though I cut that story, I decided I was serious about writing. So here are a few things I've learned about how to take it seriously. Most of this is pretty basic stuff, but I need to remind myself, or I slip.

1. Discipline. Important in everything. If I'm serious about writing, I set aside time for it. Enjoying writing helps; I have no problems taking time away from reading or TV and devoting it to writing, because I honestly enjoy it as much or more.

2. Preparedness. A common ingredient for success. If I don't think ahead, I can't focus on writing. One that hits me hard is making writing a 'second-class' activity. Writing takes more energy and thought than TV or reading, and if I don't devote time when I'm well-rested and fed, I have trouble. I need to schedule time when I'm at my best, instead of putting it off for 'free time', which is fine for entertainment. If I spend my peak hours reading, I shouldn't complain about writers block later. I was amazed when I first tried writing during my best hours of the day; it was much easier to maintain focus and creativity.

3. Concentration. If I'm distracted, I won't get much done. The harder I'm blocked, the stronger distractions beckon. Number two is about physical readiness, but this is about the mental side. I need to get in the right headspace, or I'll waste all my time on Reddit, or Facebook, or Youtube, or even Fimfiction. Distraction is deadly.

Mostly when I write, I've got these set. I pick time for writing, I'm serious about working, and I'm sure I can concentrate. All is in readiness. But The Block still hangs over me. What now?

Well, then it's time to look at my story. There are things that tend to plague my stories; bad habits I don't realize I'm indulging until I reflect.

At first, most of my writer's block came from problem number one:

1. - Relying too much on intuition. I have (at least) two types of creativity; intuitive, and deliberate. Intuition doesn't use conscious thought; it just throws ideas into my brain, fully formed, and sometimes I catch them. Deliberate creativity is the opposite; I use it to painstakingly solve problems one step at a time, plotting a clear path from 'here' to 'there' instead of intuition's lighting-quick jump from 'problem' to 'solution'.

Intuitive creativity is how most of my story ideas arrive. I'm doing something, like grilling, when an idea arrives like a bolt from the blue. "Aha!" I go, flinging my spatula across the room and burning my sister. "That would make a great story!"

This is great. I love getting ideas this way. It's like finding spare change in your pockets; your day is suddenly better. Unfortunately, although my idea is bright and shiny, it's usually not enough for a story. For me, a story takes conscious effort to produce. It needs to be constructed deliberately, though I'm still discovering just how much is right.

For a long time, I didn't realize this. I would have a great idea, and start a story. My intuition would drive it for a while, but without conscious creativity it would eventually run out of steam, and I'd end up going 'now what', waiting hopefully for another flash to arrive. Sadly, my intuition doesn't work this way. It wasn't until I involved deliberate creativity in the process and started planning my stories out that I really began getting somewhere. This led to my second problem.

2. Not planning for enough conflict. It took me a while to realize I was doing this, but for quite a while, I'd write all the conflict and driving plot out of the story without even realizing. I don't mean I resolved the conflict; this could be subtle. For example, if I moved my characters thousands of miles apart, even though the conflict might still be there, there's no clear path to continue it. The sudden lack of obvious progression would leave me scratching my head.

Removing the conflict always kills a story. The truth of storytelling is a story composed only of pleasant things won't hold attention long. In this case, Chandler's Law can be used to good effect. If my writer's block is just a feeling of 'what now?' this is probably what I'm struggling with. Often, reminding myself that things need to get worse before they get better is enough to realize where I've gone wrong. Tropes are very useful here.

It's also important to realize that creativity usually works better when you have more constraints, instead of when you have less. Creativity is problem-solving, applied to imaginary situations. Understanding is, again, half the battle. If I'm asked to 'write something', I'll just go "Huh?" but, if I'm asked to write, say, a pastiche where Sherlock Holmes steals the moon from Dracula, by means of a thousand-year pyramid scheme perpetrated on cryogenic Storm Troopers...I already have half a story, and it's much easier.

Now, I try and outline somewhat before I write. But once I realized what was going on, I ran into another problem.

3. Planning too much, my current phase. I'll introduce plot points into a story, and later on decide that I don't like them. I can go back and change things, but this is another trap; circular editing, where I recursively re-write endlessly. I started publishing a story to help escape this. I haven't backed myself into a corner yet. We'll see. One thing I remind myself is that retconning a running story isn't impossible; just hard.

This boils down to a few maxims. Take writing seriously. Know yourself. Know how your creativity works. If you're stuck, change something. If you're really stuck, consider asking for help.

Finally, here's the surefire cure for writer's block.

Just write.

In real life, there's no 'generate perfect plot' button. If I struggle with writer's block too long I look at my first realization; writer's block is a decision. If I want to, I can step past it.

This may not be a good choice. There can be very good reasons why I choose not to write. If I don't like where my story is going or any of what I've written, my enjoyment dies. Without joy, writing is pointless to me. If my plot has problems, I risk plot holes and writing myself into a corner. Just prolonging the story doesn't really solve anything. If I never understand what blocked me in the first place, I'll never really fix it.

But in the end, if I want to be a 'writer', I need to 'write something'. Even if it's hard. Even if it sucks. Even if no-one really likes it much. The only way forward is forward, after all. Sometimes biting the bullet and forging ahead is all it takes. Hindsight may reveal the trouble clearly.

Here's a bit of encouragement. Just because writing something was hard doesn't mean you've done poorly. I've read authors say their best work is from when they struggled for each word. Being stretched is usually good for you. Pain is just weakness leaving the body. What doesn't kill strengthens. All of that. At the end, if you face writer's block and defeat it, rise above it, you will be a better writer.

I think that's worth something.

Comments

[Celefin]

Hm... I think I needed just that.
Have read this kind of advice a hundred times at least; but you worded it in a way I can relate to.
So, thanks, nice reflections.
Imma try.

[Not_A_Hat]

I'm glad it was useful to you. In the end, writing is both a craft and a discipline, and it's definitely something that can be learned through hard work and perseverance. There's a lot of fluff floating around about 'inspiration' and writers block, but the truth is both simpler and harder; it takes the same attributes to excel at writing than it does most everything else. Patience, commitment, and self-control.

If only I was better at the last one.