Writer’s Block Pt. 1: Why You Have It
We All Hate It, But Why Do We Have It?
Let’s get this out of the way: this piece is not a debate about the existence of writer’s block. Whether it exists or not by any facetious definition is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is we all find ourselves demoralized, lacking motivation to do what we love. It just so happens us writers have a name for it.
What is Writer’s Block?
Writer’s block is something we all experience. It’s the most frustrating thing that can happen to a writer. It comes at the worst of times it seems, while you’re polishing up your once-favorite piece or halfway through your debut novel.
It happens to us all. Our fingers stop, the keys no longer produce the nice clicking noise we love to hear, the screen grows dim and eventually your computer is lulled to sleep by silence. You’ve accomplished nothing. Not because you don’t want to, but because you can’t.
It isn’t enough to recognize your problem, though. To truly understand how to overcome writer’s block, you must first understand why you have it.
A Fear of Failure
It’s worth noting that I am not a professional at any level. I am not experienced in the fields required to discuss this. But when I look at people I know, especially myself, I find a fear of failure — also known as, or working in tandem with, perfectionism — at the center of writer’s block.
The fear of failure arises when we assign the value of our work to the value of our character. If someone criticizes our work, we can take that as a criticism of ourselves. The writing is unorganized, is subpar, is amateur can begin feeling like I’m unorganized, I’m subpar, I’m amateur.
To make things worse, writer’s block strikes before anyone can even see our work. We form the connection before the criticism arises, making it even harder to finish. If you hate what you’re writing, it too easily become a hatred for yourself.
You must detach yourself from your work in any field. Failure is normal, it’s okay, and it isn’t you.
Lack of Inspiration
We all know the feeling of being so motivated, so inspired by our ideas, our hands can’t keep up with the thoughts. In those moments of muse, we can tear through pages, if not chapters, in a sitting. It’s exhilarating. It’s also unrealistic.
There’s inevitably a barrier we hit where the story just isn’t meeting our expectations. Immediately identify why and try to rewrite whatever you can to salvage that, but sometimes it’s okay to not be inspired. If there’s nothing more to say, there’s nothing for to say. We have to be willing to kill our darlings.
You’re Distracted
Distractions suck. Humans are disgustingly prone to them. According to this Microsoft research, the average attention span is down nearly a quarter in 2015 from 2000, finding itself just below the goldfish. So, when your grandpa used to say, “You have the attention span of a goldfish,” he really meant it. We all do.
The same research also found that, in a survey of 2,000 people between the ages of 18 and 24, 77% of them picked up their phones when they had nothing to do. Falling in that group, I confirm this is my usual reaction, even when there is something I need to do.
Phones aren’t the only issue. Our computers connect us to our friends, Facebook, YouTube, Email, pornography, Netflix, and many other distractions. If you have a television in your workspace, congratulations — you’ve made it worse. And that isn’t to include the Switches, Xboxes, and PlayStations. With so much to waste our time, it can begin overwhelming you. When that tension arises, where you know you must write but you’d rather watch a movie, you decide on doing nothing. Sitting, staring at a screen, unproductive and unhappy.
Eliminate the distractions.
How to Overcome These and More
In tomorrow’s article I’ll be discussing how to overcome these issues and more. These three are the biggest issues I find in myself and those I speak with. If you struggle with any of these things — or any other reason — be sure to check in tomorrow after 11:00 a.m. EST, 4:00 p.m. UTC.