Writer’s Block is the most recognizable nemesis to a writer. But what exactly is Writer’s Block? The Merriam Webster’s definition is as vast and abstract as outer space [a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece (a)]. In most terms, Writer’s Block is like putting up a wall in front of writers and their work. Motivation, creativity, pleasure, and acceptability are put on the line and lost as a result.

I am going to show you what Writer’s Block really is. You will see that the generic term is obsolete when trying to get past having the symptoms. In fact, when a writer says he has Writer’s Block and muddles around without knowing exactly what is wrong and why, he becomes his own worst enemy. In short, the term Writer’s Block itself has nearly as much to do with the wall a writer hits as the reasons behind the wall itself.

How many things can you think of that hurt your writing? Lack of creativity, no motivation, hating what you write, writing nothing at all. All of these things make the writing process, something that is supposed to be fun and challenging—not hideous and impossible—a senseless objective.

Stress

Stress affects everything in our lives. It helps make us sick, destroys our relationships, kills our outlook on the future. Stress comes from every direction. Money, work, world events, politics, your personal life. Stress is the leading cause of most bouts of Writer’s Block. When we are stressed out, our creativity is blocked up like a dam. Stress causes us to shut down internally, which in turn, keeps us from wanting to do the things we love.

What causes stress isn’t going to go away. We will always need money, always need to get the kids to school on time, and we’re not going to escape angry drivers or vicious storms. Stress is always going to be there, but what can change is how you think about stress.

And for writing, this does absolutely no good. Short of selling off everything you own and moving to a deserted island with enough ink, paper, and food to last you through your novel, your best bet to get past stress is to take care of yourself.

Don’t let the little things in life get the best of you. Little things are the most frequent stressors. They build up in our minds and then explode like pyroclastic flows. If every little thing is bothering you it may take time to train yourself to let them slide. It is possible though.

Exercise will help your body, your mind, and help you cope with all of the stress in your life. Exercise will also bolster your creativity by getting your mind off of life in general. You don’t have to do a lot. The key to exercise is to be consistent. Find twenty to thirty minutes in the morning before work or at night after where you can walk, run, or strength train. Exercise also boosts your energy levels which in turn will help all aspects of your life.

Meditation is one of the best ways to rid yourself of pent up stress. Find a nice place to sit and clear your mind and just focus on your breathing. There are many places online where you can discover different techniques for meditation and there is no one that is the best. Meditation clears your mind of the day’s events and a regular schedule of meditation will give you a surplus of energy to tackle the upcoming days. Do what feels comfortable for you—whether that is completely emptying your mind or focusing on a mantra.

Be Patient and Optimistic

I’ll tell you right off the bat—you are not going to get over your problem if you don’t THINK you are going to get over your problem. Self confidence is another key factor to how we write and what we write.

You’re probably not going to write a best seller with your first novel. You’re not going to write your first novel in a month. Writing is a very lengthy process. There are numerous steps (writing, editing, and publishing) and processes (plotting, drafts, and sending your work to agents and publishers) that you must go through while writing just about anything. It’s a very lengthy process and it’s very easy to get discouraged.

It doesn’t make things any easier when you can’t write at all or you begin a work and get far before stumbling at the feet of Writer’s Block. As a writer without a massive detour sign to follow, you must have great patience. When Writer’s Block comes around, no matter what the cause, you must have the patience of a saint.

First and foremost, you cannot get discouraged. You cannot give up. You do have options, of course, and one of those options is stepping back from what you are working on; stepping back from writing altogether. Take a week off. Take two weeks off. Be patient with yourself and your mind will come around. Don’t jump ship.

Your second option is to work through it. Work progressively to target why you can’t write and then target exactly what you need to do to solve the problem.

Keep in mind that writing is a very time consuming endeavor. It’s really a journey and with any journey there are going to be bumps in the road. The main thing to focus on is what is going on right now and nothing down the road.

Change up your routine

If you write at night, try writing in the morning. If you always write in the morning, try writing at a time you’d never dreamed of writing at before. If you always write in one place, write in another. Listen to music while you write? Stop!

When people get caught up in the same day to day activities—and writers are no different—they become bored and agitated. Frustration crawls into their lives. Don’t trap yourself into a routine when that routine becomes boring and sluggish.

Changing what you do makes you think about what you’re doing. You will no longer feel bored because you are thinking about the new things you’re doing, even if the new things are as simple as listening to a different band or writing at eight at night instead of eight in the morning.

This forces your mind to adjust, to work harder to be creative. The same principles are used in bodily activities such as weight lifting. A weight lifter often peaks after a month or two using the same routine because his muscles are no longer properly stimulated to grow.

Your mind must have proper stimulation to keep growing and keep pushing forward. So if you feel bored, or if you just don’t want to write, or you are in a creative dry spell, just try to change things around in your daily routine. It won’t hurt you. It just may make you write better.

The Doldrums

Sometimes it is best to just move on. Do something else. Start a new novel. Write in a different genre of poetry. Just like changing your routine to instigate action within your brain, you can change what you’re writing itself to reignite the creative juices.

It’s very likely that you’re suffering your bout of Writer’s Block because of what you’re writing. You may be trying to do too much with your story or poem. You may be tackling a plot that is too big for you at your current stage in life—you can’t write a good crime thriller if you know nothing about police work or criminology. You may not feel in touch with your characters, your background, the plot, person, or any number of other things.

I’m not advocating throwing your work away and starting over. I’m just saying that you could use a break from what you’re currently working on and try to do something in another direction.

It’s not going to be enough, if you write space opera, to quit your current novel to start another one in the same genre. You have to move away from your boundaries, stretching out into something you may not be used to. For instance, if you write horror, go in the direction of fantasy. No, it’s not the exact opposite, but it’s far enough that you will be a fish flopping on dry land if you don’t write a lot of fantasy.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your abilities. Don’t be afraid of failure, either. Writing isn’t about publishing everything you write or even finishing everything you’ve started. It’s about joy—closure from the world outside—and about giving a new twist to that reality through imagination.

A final note

Read, read, read, read! Reading books, inside and outside of your genre, not only gives you a chance to get a better grasp on the English language through visual repetition, but reading itself makes you think, makes you use your imagination.

Below are three links that will help you learn more about coping with Writer’s Block.

Have fun writing, after all, that’s why you should be writing in the first place. Don’t pressure yourself and you won’t face many of the problems I’ve outlined here. Thank you for reading and I hope it helps you. Good luck in your writing.

http://www.sff.net/people/LisaRC/
http://www.angelfire.com/freak2/writersblock/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_block.html