It happens to all the best of us at some point, especially in the beginning stages of our writing career. You want to write and nothing happens. You fumble for the inspiration tap and cannot find it anywhere. You stare blankly at the page or your laptop willing something to happen and eventually you call it a day. You lapse into procrastination and stop entering the writing zone. Writer's block may of course be just a figment of your imagination but that does not stop it from feeling real and stopping you from writing. But what are the causes of writer's block. Well here are the seven biggies:
1. Busyness: Busyness is the number one killer of the creative process. In order to write you need the time and space to write. No space then nothing much creative or new can emerge.
2. Doubt: The next stumbling block for many is self-doubt. A paralysing sense that either you have nothing of value to say or you lack the skill to express it in any meaningful or creative way.
3. Over Analytical: Every writer needs to engage the left side of the brain in the writing process but over analysing is a killer to the creative process.
4. Fear: After doubt a very common block to writing is fear of putting their ideas (and themselves) out there for the world to see and critique.
5. Perfectionism: This is a big block because writing is messy and unpredictable. Perfectionism could be called micro-managing which never really works with any creative process.
6. Timing: Perhaps it's not the right time to write. Your ideas need more time to percolate before being committed to the page.
7. Procrastination: Any and all of the above can lead to procrastination where frustratingly not much is happening on the writing front.
1. Busyness: Busyness is the number one killer of the creative process. In order to write you need the time and space to write. No space then nothing much creative or new can emerge.
2. Doubt: The next stumbling block for many is self-doubt. A paralysing sense that either you have nothing of value to say or you lack the skill to express it in any meaningful or creative way.
3. Over Analytical: Every writer needs to engage the left side of the brain in the writing process but over analysing is a killer to the creative process.
4. Fear: After doubt a very common block to writing is fear of putting their ideas (and themselves) out there for the world to see and critique.
5. Perfectionism: This is a big block because writing is messy and unpredictable. Perfectionism could be called micro-managing which never really works with any creative process.
6. Timing: Perhaps it's not the right time to write. Your ideas need more time to percolate before being committed to the page.
7. Procrastination: Any and all of the above can lead to procrastination where frustratingly not much is happening on the writing front.
So some of the above are practical blocks that need practical solutions and others are more psychological in nature that need a different approach. With that in mind here are a few ideas and practical tips to help you work through creative writing block:
· Create Space: If space is the issue then you need to take a long hard look at your life and your diary. Start to set aside time each day preferably for 'me' time. Also find a bolt hole where you will not be disturbed. This can be a room set aside in your home or a local cafe.
· Doubt Your Self-Doubt: Join a supportive writers group to help move out of self doubt. Here the key is to find a support and useful feedback rather than critiquing which is a killer for your writing process. Another great way to move through doubt is to do Morning Pages aka Julia Cameron as outlined in her book The Artist's Way. You can use this exercise to process your feelings of doubt.
· Paralyse Your Over Analysis: There is a time for logic and structure and strategy and there is a time to get creative. An over analytical mind can be quite critical when it comes to the creative process. This activity has been called the inner critic by many writers and this can be a huge block to the creative process. Actually the inner critic makes a good inner editor with some training. There are two ways to engage the inner editor. Some writers need to forget about structure and just write and allow the structure to come. Others find that creating a certain structure up front allows them to turn on the creative juices. So try out which way works best for you, either create some shape to your writing at the beginning or allow the structure to emerge organically.
· Awareness and Action Handle Fear: There are two ways through fear and I recommend both. The first is to process your fears around writing and visibility. Look honestly at what you are really afraid of. You might find that you are worried about something specific like what a member of your family might say or you might find memories of painful times at school when your creative work was criticised. Awareness is the key to moving through fear. As long as fear is a vague blob that seems to block your way or glue you to the ground then you cannot really do much. The second approach is to keep turning up on the page and write your way through your fear. This is the principle of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway as outlined by author Susan Jeffers.
· Practise Being Perfectly Imperfect: Perfectionism is the opposite of trust where we let go and see what happens. Perfectionism can stem from early conditioning or peer pressure that leads to a fear of getting things wrong plus a strong desire excel and get things right. Perfectionism hates mistakes yet these so called 'mistakes' are an essential part of the creative process. Actually mistakes can lead to something new you may not have considered before. Perhaps start to actually celebrate your so called mistakes. The way to neutralise perfectionism is to practise letting go of control so that you can enjoy the unpredictable messiness of the creative process. Play more games where the outcome cannot be predicted. Engage in some creative and messy processes such as acrylic painting using just your hands and fingers on the canvas. Break up your established routines such as the time you eat lunch or the route you habitually take to work or to the local shops each day.
· Ideas Need Room to Breathe: Timing is the simplest one yet it can also feel the hardest for some. Write down your core ideas and just allow them to stew inside you while doing relaxing stuff such as taking a bath or going for a walk or sitting in nature. Always carry a notebook so you can jot down your thoughts. Also take more notice of your nocturnal dreams. Again note down any significant dreams, your unconscious may want to start speaking to you.
· Move and Write: Finally if you have done some or much of the above and have started writing but feel you have become sidetracked into procrastination then do something to get your mind and blood flowing. Go for a walk or a run, drink tea, call a friend, play with Lego, listen to Classical or Jazz. The possibilities are endless, but movement is critical. Once the core issues have been sorted out create a writing routine to get the creative juices flowing.
Happy writing.
Steve Nobel
· Create Space: If space is the issue then you need to take a long hard look at your life and your diary. Start to set aside time each day preferably for 'me' time. Also find a bolt hole where you will not be disturbed. This can be a room set aside in your home or a local cafe.
· Doubt Your Self-Doubt: Join a supportive writers group to help move out of self doubt. Here the key is to find a support and useful feedback rather than critiquing which is a killer for your writing process. Another great way to move through doubt is to do Morning Pages aka Julia Cameron as outlined in her book The Artist's Way. You can use this exercise to process your feelings of doubt.
· Paralyse Your Over Analysis: There is a time for logic and structure and strategy and there is a time to get creative. An over analytical mind can be quite critical when it comes to the creative process. This activity has been called the inner critic by many writers and this can be a huge block to the creative process. Actually the inner critic makes a good inner editor with some training. There are two ways to engage the inner editor. Some writers need to forget about structure and just write and allow the structure to come. Others find that creating a certain structure up front allows them to turn on the creative juices. So try out which way works best for you, either create some shape to your writing at the beginning or allow the structure to emerge organically.
· Awareness and Action Handle Fear: There are two ways through fear and I recommend both. The first is to process your fears around writing and visibility. Look honestly at what you are really afraid of. You might find that you are worried about something specific like what a member of your family might say or you might find memories of painful times at school when your creative work was criticised. Awareness is the key to moving through fear. As long as fear is a vague blob that seems to block your way or glue you to the ground then you cannot really do much. The second approach is to keep turning up on the page and write your way through your fear. This is the principle of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway as outlined by author Susan Jeffers.
· Practise Being Perfectly Imperfect: Perfectionism is the opposite of trust where we let go and see what happens. Perfectionism can stem from early conditioning or peer pressure that leads to a fear of getting things wrong plus a strong desire excel and get things right. Perfectionism hates mistakes yet these so called 'mistakes' are an essential part of the creative process. Actually mistakes can lead to something new you may not have considered before. Perhaps start to actually celebrate your so called mistakes. The way to neutralise perfectionism is to practise letting go of control so that you can enjoy the unpredictable messiness of the creative process. Play more games where the outcome cannot be predicted. Engage in some creative and messy processes such as acrylic painting using just your hands and fingers on the canvas. Break up your established routines such as the time you eat lunch or the route you habitually take to work or to the local shops each day.
· Ideas Need Room to Breathe: Timing is the simplest one yet it can also feel the hardest for some. Write down your core ideas and just allow them to stew inside you while doing relaxing stuff such as taking a bath or going for a walk or sitting in nature. Always carry a notebook so you can jot down your thoughts. Also take more notice of your nocturnal dreams. Again note down any significant dreams, your unconscious may want to start speaking to you.
· Move and Write: Finally if you have done some or much of the above and have started writing but feel you have become sidetracked into procrastination then do something to get your mind and blood flowing. Go for a walk or a run, drink tea, call a friend, play with Lego, listen to Classical or Jazz. The possibilities are endless, but movement is critical. Once the core issues have been sorted out create a writing routine to get the creative juices flowing.
Happy writing.
Steve Nobel