Writer’s block does exist. So many will tell you otherwise and until mid-last year, I would have agreed with them. I’ve changed my tune.
During the Art of Writing creative writing retreats in Florence, I’ve hassled writers, saying, “you don’t have time for writer’s block! Get on with it. Just write! You have to put your bottom on the seat and simply get on with it. Covid is no excuse. Yes, grief is a valid justification for a while. Feel the sorrow of your loss, and acknowledge your wave of sadness. Now hussle, hussle. Back to it and write!” I’m a hard taskmaster.
But now? No, I’ve changed my mind. There is such a thing as writer’s block. Not being able to write is totally a thing. But for me, the inability to sit down and create has many other names apart from writer’s block. The block is an accumulation of thoughts (obviously), and the end point is writer’s block. I’ve been a writer and been teaching writing for a long, long time to many different nationalities, cultural belief systems, sexes and age groups. Here are some of the main writer’s block reasons I’ve heard.
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I’ve simply lost my mojo.
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I don’t have time to write (endless reasons and all seemingly valid).
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I need to worry about income before I get on with my creative work.
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Once I’m sitting on a terrace in Tuscany I’ll be inspired.
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I need serenity with all my relationships to write.
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My work will never be published. I can’t be bothered anymore because no one is going to read it anyway.
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It’s as though I’ve learnt too much, read too many writing books, done too many courses and now I’m frozen.
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I need to do more creative writing courses, read more creative writing books, and learn more before I can write.
Those reasons and more become the dialogue in the writer’s head and it’s all they hear. I’ve heard and genuinely understood loads more reasons for writers’ procrastination. Research has discovered these four main triggers for writer’s block.
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Apathy. These writers felt constrained by the “rules” of writing and struggled to find their creative spark.
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Anger. These writers were often narcissistic and would get angry if something they created went unnoticed.
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Anxiety. These writers worried that they weren’t good enough.
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Issues with others. These writers didn’t want their writing to be compared to others’ work, resulting in a fear of writing anything at all.
There really is no point to this blog except for yeah, I get it. You can’t write right now. But if I’ve learnt one thing it is whenever I write something, I am happy. A scene, a bit of dialogue, a review, even this blog. The words are on the page. My thoughts are clearer. Satisfaction is high. No matter the quality, I can fix that later. I feel good after I’ve written something – anything.
There’s an Aussie saying: You Never Regret a Swim. It’s so true. No matter how much you don’t want to get in the water, once you’ve had the swim, you never regret it. A swim makes you feel fantastic. Alive. Today you’ve accomplished at least a healthy swim.
It’s the same with writing. You never regret time writing.
At the Art of Writing, we try to stick to the thirty-minute rule. It came from one of our writers, Victoria Smith. The Little Lark Still Sings was completed because Victoria constantly said to herself, “I’ll just write for thirty minutes.” Before she knew it, she was off and running, thirty minutes became one hour, became two hours. The thirty-minute rule works.
Free write. Dump down a stream of consciousness - anything. Your words will begin to flow.
You never regret a swim- or time writing.
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If you’d like to share any comments or thoughts, I’d be happy to hear from you. Email me directly at lisacliffordwriter@gmail.com.