If there’s one thing I hate, it’s writer’s block. It’s that awful feeling when you sit down to write and there are no words left. I struggle to get anything down on the page, no matter how hard I try. It’s that terrible feeling of being unable to come up with a single new idea. I’m stuck, and empty and in that moment it feels like I might not ever be able to write anything ever again. It’s a pretty horrible feeling. In my experience though, every bout of writers block has a reason behind it. And once you know what is causing your block, you can usually find a way to get past it and get the words flowing again. Today I want to talk about the three main types of writers block.
Plot Problem Block
This first kind of writer’s block occurs when there’s a problem with your story. For me, this usually happens when I’ve taken my characters down a path they shouldn’t be on, or I’ve written my plot in wrong direction. Inside, I know something is wrong, but I ignore it and push on until the wrongness piles up enough that it blocks all forward movement. At that point, I can’t write the next section, because in my heart, I know that this is not where the story is supposed to be.
The best fix for this kind of writer’s block is to stop and figure out where you went wrong, then change direction. Usually, by acknowledging the problem and actively looking for the place where you went wrong, you can jog some inspiration free and get back to making some progress.
Uninspired Block
This sort of writers block usually strikes me when I’ve been focused really heavily on one project for a long period of time, to the point where it’s the only thing I’ve been doing for weeks. I feel uninspired and creatively burnt out, and it’s like I just can’t generate any new ideas at all. Usually what this means is that I’ve been stuck in this one way of thinking for too long, too focused on this one set of ideas, and I haven’t taken the time to keep filling up with new inspiration to keep myself fresh and interested.
The best fix for this is to allocate some time for consuming some media outside of your own project. Read some books. Watch a TV show. Listen to some music. Expose yourself to some new ideas and best sure to refill your creative well and usually this form of writer’s block with leave you alone.
Fear Block
The third type of writers block usually hits me when I’m uncertain about what I should be writing. Not in the way that I don’t know the direction my plot should go in, but more that I’m afraid of getting something wrong when I’m writing, and people judging me for it. Or maybe I’m scared that I’m not good enough to write about a certain subject. Whatever it is, that uncertainty can be really paralysing. If I’m afraid to write the next section of my story, you can bet that I’m going to do anything to avoid having to face that. It’s intimidating.
The best solution to this is just to write. It might be very difficult, but getting the words down is the first step to making sure that what you’re writing is good enough. Remind yourself that no one ever has to read this if it doesn’t work out. The only way out of this is through. It might not be easy, but pressing on and facing your fear is the only way to get through.
In my experience, there is almost always a trigger for a bout of writer’s block, some underlying problem that keeps the words from flowing the way they should. Writers don’t usually have blocks for no reason at all, so if you’re feeling the pinch, see if you can identify the trigger for this bout of writers block. Understanding what is causing your block is the first step to conquering it.
Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash
