5 Ways to Tackle Writer's Block



Writer's block was first described by a psychoanalyst, Edmund Bergler, in 1947. For most writers, "writer's block" is a common affliction. Because writers approach their work in different ways and they have various ways of writing, an array of things can cause anxiety, which most often leads to the dreaded writer's block.

Some of us find plot holes as big as the Great Blue Hole in our stories, and we don't know how to repair them. Others run out of inspiration. We feel our muse has deserted us, the characters in our heads are silent, and we are drained of our creative vibe. Sometimes we're simply so distracted by the everyday world that any creativity or inspiration is shoved into the back corner. Every time we look for our creativity, we feel overwhelmed by everything else. We feel like salmon swimming upstream. Sometimes we even feel like zombies (minus the brain-eating part!).

So, what then? What do we do when we're staring at a section of writer's block the size of Hoover Dam? I've come up with 5 ways of tackling writer's block that help me.

1. Take a walk outside. Get out into nature. Instead of rushing around, enjoy the walk. Look around you and really take in the environment. You might be surprised to notice flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and squirrels are chasing each other through the treetops. Breathe deeply and push aside all those thoughts crowding your mind.

2. Read a book. Pick up an old favorite and reread it. Remember why you love reading and why this fuels you to write more. Choose a new novel to read. Maybe there's a novel you keep saying you don't have time to read. Maybe your reader friends have gone on and on about how great this one novel is, and they've been begging you to read it. Now's the time to make time. Give your brain a break, and read for fun.

3. Clean. Okay, this probably sounds like a job, but I always find that a cluttered house means a cluttered mind. When I'm staring at dirty dishes in the sink, I can't concentrate on writing because all I can think about is the mess. Then I start thinking about all the other messes in my house (or in my life), and I can't concentrate on anything. I feel overwhelmed and messy. The best thing for me is to start to clean, which doesn't take a lot of active brain power, and while I'm dusting, my mind wanders. I might figure out character A really should duel with character B.

4. Do something nice for yourself. This can be any number of things. Get a massage, take a bath, watch your favorite movie, spend a day in your pajamas, make a pie, bake cookies, look through old photographs, browse your local flea market. Mostly this means to give yourself a break. Stop breathing down your own neck, asking why you can't get past your writer's block, which only makes everything worse.

5. Write. So, you have writer's block? So what. If you're a writer, then you must write on days when you feel as though you're a superstar author and on days when you feel as though it would be painful to pull twenty words from your brain. Write anyway. Write when it's tough. Write when you've had a terrible day. Write when you think you've written two pages of complete garbage. Barbara Kingslover says, “I learned to produce whether I wanted to or not. It would be easy to say oh, I have writer’s block, oh, I have to wait for my muse. I don’t. Chain that muse to your desk and get the job done.” So, chain your muse to your desk or to your couch or to your hip and write. You might be surprised at the brilliance you force out.

Photo drawn by Julianne St. Clair. Used with permission.