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Writer’s Block
I know, I know. We’ve all faced it at some point or another, be it in our fanfiction, our original stories, or our essays for school. We’ve all tussled with the frustration of it all, maybe even giving up our hopes of prevailing. But how many of us actually know what it is, how to avoid it? One could considering getting out of it a skill people can hone, but we all have to start somewhere, and even experienced writers can pick up ideas. ‘Experienced’ doesn’t mean ‘perfect’.
What is Writer’s Block?
Writer’s Block, to be concise, is when a writer finds himself unable to continue writing, either because he’s run out of ideas, or because he can’t put his ideas to paper. Contrary to a belief I’ve recently seen and which led to this article, writer’s block is nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to every writer at some point during his production, not once, but many, many times. It’s not something that one could be blamed for, and doesn’t imply incapability or unoriginality.
Writing is a creative process and, like all such processes, it puts a strain on the mind. Just as in math research, the writer has to spend some time away from his work, with his mind focused elsewhere, to rejuvenate himself and his creativity so that he can then return to his work refreshed and ready. It’s crucial to give the mind this recreational rest, because otherwise, we tire the mind by focusing it solely and intently on one goal, which leads to fatigue and, therefore, lack of creative ability. If, when trying to write something, you feel unable to continue, it’s better to let it rest for a few days, while thinking occasionally on the matter, then return to tackle it when you feel ready. Chances are you’ll do much better than you had on your last try/
How do I deal with Writer’s Block?
Sorry to disappoint, but there are no concrete methods of facing it. All anyone can do is offer suggestions and hope that writers will find them useful, Each writer, especially the more seasoned ones, has his own ways of dealing with Writer’s Block, but there are some general ideas that can help a person. Not all will apply to a person, but hopefully, you’ll find some of these useful:
1) As mentioned before, taking a slight break is recommended. Easing the stress and pressure of the work in question might relax the mind enough to jog the creative process. If you think of creative thought like a soft pipe, with flowing water, stressing slowly clenches the pipe until it’s blocked. If you ease the tension, water will start running again, and the blockage will be fixed. This idea works on similar bases, with less guarantee.
2) Another thing that might help is talking to someone about your dilemma, mostly if your problem has more to do with the plot than the actual phrasing of the words. Usually, it’s good and refreshing, listening to others’ ideas and opinions. In fact, I’ve personally solved several such problems by brainstorming together with a volunteer editor. It doesn’t necessarily have to be their ideas that spur you on, though they may help; sometimes, just hearing your own ideas spoken out loud, trying loosely to put them in some order allows for leaps in ideas, which can produce some amazing results.
If you’re serious about your work, the Internet is also there for you, as well as your local community. You can always access groups and specialists either through their sites or through their offices, and hopefully arrange a talk in the specialist’s free time, or discuss your theme via e-mail. A specialist opinion might clarify things up for you, give you extra pointers and ideas, even correct something you miswrote. If you were writing a book on the blind, per se, communicating with the Blind Union would certainly help.
3) Another source of information could be the Internet. Are you writing about wolves? You’ve probably already done your research on the subject, but there’s always more. Looking into old and far-away legends might just trigger a leap in idea and solve your problem. However, try to adapt the idea you based your own off to the general story you’re writing, to avoid a direct copy and clash with your existing world. Example; don’t add some story about an Indian wolverine to a story based on Mars.
4) If you have to go from A to B, then C and are lucky enough to know A and C, but not B, a good solution would be writing those two parts, then trying to figure out B as a logical sequence. You have two events needing to be linked, so a link between them might be easier to come up with. Reversely, you might write yourself into a corner, but this seems less likely. In fact, generalizing, if you have no will to continue your current plot thread, feel free to skip ahead to a scene you know will happen as such and interests you. You capture and hold your interest, and at the same time can continue to write, without actually defeating your Block, just bypassing it. Instead of exploring that particular corridor, you take a detour to the end of it.
5) There are very few ways with which you can solve a problem with putting ideas to paper. The best solution presentable seems to me to be writing what you want until you get the desired results. Using a writing program on the computer helps. Begin writing what you want to phrase, then when you reach a point you discover you don’t like the outcome, leave a few lines blank and start again. Highlighting the phrases and sentences you liked in the previous paragraphs helps you finally put together a collage of all of the passages, which is most to your liking.
6) Last but not least, I've recently been shown a delightful little book called How Not To Write A Novel. By suggestion, I agree that it might help you, though generally it moves in other places.
Keep in mind that many times, we procrastinate before continuing our work. If you’re having trouble, getting started again might just be one of them. Personally, the thrill of rediscovering the creative process eventually takes over. However, if this doesn’t happen, a good idea would be to set yourself a schedule not too demanding, which you adhere to. This way, you force yourself to attempt to solve the problems you encounter.
Something that may seem beneficial in such cases is reading other books to absorb different forms of language and ideas, but I advise you against it. It’s very easy, after having read a book, to copy its ideas willingly or not. The result might solve your problem, but you sacrifice your own personal ideas, your personal stamp in the process. If you read a book that influences you, postponing your writing seems a good idea, to avoid appropriating ideas from that very book. The same goes if you’re stuck on how to phrase your ideas; you may just end up sounding not like your usual style and that part of your work will stand out compared to the others. Generally speaking, if you don’t plan on publishing your work, like in the case of fanfiction, it doesn’t seem so bad, but nevertheless, I’d suggest you avoid it.
Something important is to remember to never panic. Yes, you might be stuck, but you’ll work your way around it, if only you try. Writing and everything creative needs personal effort, a willingness to work and hopefully, a creative mind. Never forget there are others around you who would love to offer you help, however they can, even if they might not have a crystalline idea of what your problem is. The above ideas are only a suggestion and, if you have your own ways of overcoming Writer’s Block, feel free to share!
This post has been edited by Kari&Gatomon: 02 November 2009 - 04:10 PM
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