Writers Block-What the Hell Just Happened to Me?

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Updated 9 years ago

What the Hell just happened? I can't Write.

We have all been there. Sat down and tried to write but just can't seem to get started. Why not? What's happening to me? After all you think to yourself writing is my job, my lively hood......I must write or it's the end of life as I know it. Well dear friend I've got news for you the world is not going to implode and end, this is just a minor setback. You need to confront it, find a way around this beast and move on.

Why is this happening to me?

Alright lets look at some possible underlying causes of writers block shall we.

Timing-for whatever reason it is just not a good time for you to write. Maybe your ideas just need a time to grow before you put them down on paper.
Fear-this is probably the most common reason for not writing. A lot of people struggle with the fear of criticism of their works, however you shouldn't be. Criticism can be one of the most powerful teaching tools if done constructively in helping someone become a better writer.
Being too Perfect-you already have it in your head the way things should be and you want them to be just right before you ever start to write anything, but it just never seems to be perfect so you just simply never begin to write.

The worst part is that it’s easy to use writer’s block as a crutch and way to get out of it so we define every creative obstacle as a form of writer’s block & simply give up before we ever begin. Most of us don’t even bother to look at it and try to figure out what writer’s block is and what we can do to combat and overcome this obstacle.

Is it Lack of inspiration?

Or maybe Lack of Motivation?

Or simply a creative black hole in the back of our mind?

All of these definitions could be accurate to a vague extent, but let’s face it head on and call it by what it actually is; Fear.

Fear is something you can come face to face with & overcome, unlike something as impenetrable as Writer’s Block. Sounds kind of like a disease with no cure but to wait it out doesn’t it? Well guess what that is the wrong answer.

A huge obstacle many people have is that they are trying too hard to impress ourselves & our peers. Every idea that comes into your head just seems too obvious, and too simple or both. Is this starting to sound familiar to you?

It’s important to remember though, is that you are writing . The only way this can work is when it lays on top of a simple foundation. When you let go of your ego and let your mind flow & just bang away at the keyboard you’ll find that more complex ideas will come to you as you progress with the article or your idea. The more complex parts are generally derived from a very simple or basic beginning or idea; so do not be afraid to start very basic and simple, then begin to add layers until you see something interesting or have what you are looking for on the screen. If you come up with a better idea later on, you can always scrap your simple parts later and re do it or change parts of it as you see fit. More often than not though, it’ll be the simple parts that will give your article it’s very backbone and meaning.

The main idea is to just not over complicate things to begin with. Start with something you might consider very overtly simple, or obvious if you have no other inspiration. Keep building on this one simple and basic idea until something fruitful comes of it. If it doesn’t turn into something you like, hey no problem don’t sweat it just try again. Now you have pushed past the fear of simplicity, faced it head on & survived.

Past failures

So you write a new article or a few articles that you are excited about & the reaction you get is just not as enthusiastic as you thought it would be. This one can be tough and demoralizing to and extent but don't let it be the end of your world or writing career. I’ve been there myself. After sharing this article that you’ve spent so much time and effort on, your motivation to continue writing shattered & writer’s block begins to sets in.

The thing you need to realize is that everyone does stuff that isn’t up to par or didn't turn out as nicely as they expected it to.

Everyone.

Secondly I would like to point out that you’re friends and peers will rarely share in your excitement. Sometimes they just aren’t into your style or just missing the point all together that you are trying to get across in the first place. If you aren’t directly copying another, you’re likely to come across people who just don’t get it. People tend to praise what they are familiar with, so if you’re getting a lot of praise from people close to you, be cautious at this point, as you may not be very original.

Take any criticism you get at this point from your friends and peers take a few minutes to sit back look at it and evaluate it for exactly what it is and see if maybe there are some things that you can change or word differently to polish your content and make it just that much better.

Here’s what is great about constructive (or even critical) criticism. When you are put in a situation where you are forced to defend your work, you are putting your conviction to the test.

The people who challenge your work are the only ones who will give you an opportunity to defend it. Most likely, you’ll discover the parts of your work that you are most proud of because the criticism won’t bother you as much. It’s the stuff you aren’t as confident in that really bites you in the ass. To hear someone point out these things is just confirming what you already know, you’re not quite there and need to continue to strive for better.

In closing I hope this article, which turned out to be much longer than I expected has given you some food for thought. Writer’s block is nothing more simply than fear disguised as other things. It’s certainly not something that is beyond your control. Make creating a habit, even if it’s for 15 minutes a day. Whatever you do, never stop because of fear. Take a break on your own terms when your confidence is high and just do an overall evaluation of your work.

Your friend in Online Success,

Scott