Writing is something I love to do. It’s an outlet for creative thinking, processing the world the way I see it. It is also an act I struggle to both channel and manage. Why is it so hard to write? Where exactly does writer’s block come from, and how can I avoid it?
In high school, I would write poems just about every day. Some of them were crummy, some experimental, but there were a few gems tucked away in the slush pile that I managed to pull out for my creative writing class, and my teacher noticed them. He even asked me in front of the class what I did for my poetry process, and I simply stated the truth, “I write one almost every day.” He praised me for this simple exercise and suggested the class do the same for their writing. I think therein lies my problem. The answer is staring me right in the face and clicking its tongue in disappointment.
I don’t write every day. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still write tons of poetry. No, I have journals and journals filled with poems, some crummy, some experimental, a few gems. I think the devil actually is in the details. I’ve always wanted to write a longer piece, something more than poems or short stories. I don’t have a problem with shorter length pieces. Two of my most recent writings are picture books; short, sweet, and straight-forward. I grapple with my one true desire, my creation of an original story in novel format.
I tend to get lost in the minute. Even in my art, I can spend way too much time on a particular line or shape, forgetting to look at the picture as a grand sum. I’m a detail-oriented worker, so I heavily focus on individual parts. In longer forms of writing, I write, rethink, doubt, rewrite, and just flat out avoid completing whatever chapter or section I’m working on. Ever since I started my MFA here at Hollins, I vowed that this would be the place where I would complete my middle-grade novel about a shy squirrel. It’s been two years and I’ve rewritten the first draft about four times, and it still isn’t even finished!
I feel like I’m losing the creative part of my mind, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just get the story straight? What’s keeping me from writing this darn novel? One of my professors suggested that the problem comes from my own anxiety, and I fear she is right. It’s ironic that we tend to think that adversity strictly comes from external forces instead of taking a good long look at the mirror and concluding that the real enemy is in ourselves.
Why do we doubt? For me, I doubt because I want to be perfect. I’ll have my first go at a story and will fret when it’s not going where I want it to go. I’ll have a thought from a long walk outside Monday morning yet come Tuesday afternoon, that surge of joyful inspiration will have dissolved in the dust. I wish I could generate time pockets where I could relive past feelings and memories that can contribute to my source material.
I know that writing is not really easy for anyone. It requires hard work and discipline, for some, a structured schedule. I know that writing also requires one to take a step back and to maybe take a break. It’s rather daunting, at least for us newbies, to just go go go and not stop (all work and no play, anyone?). So the advice that I guess I would give myself is to write in increments; do what you can, but don’t feel obligated to finish a whole novel within a week, or even within a month.
Maybe I’d suggest writing and pushing through what you can, but also making time for valuable breaks. If you don’t take a moment to remove yourself from your work, how will you be able to spot potential areas for improvement? And during those moments of worry and self-doubt, go outside, talk to someone, watch HGTV or paint a picture.
And don’t forget to share your writing with someone you know and can trust to give you sound feedback. Writing does not have to be a lonely sport. I’ve played sports all throughout my school-years and now realize that I need to be a part of a team. In fact, I thrive in the company of others in my job. It’s helpful and necessary to get a fresh set of eyes on your writing. And it’s more fun to be a part of a team. That’s one of the many reasons I’m so glad for my MFA.
If you have any other advice for those of us trying to beat the writer’s block, share in the comments. Let’s jump that hurdle and get down to why we love to write!