This article could be more accurately titled ‘Writers Not Writing’. Writer’s block sounds like some sort of external agency which is standing at the door prohibiting writers from putting words on paper. Because I think I may have it, I’d like to explore what writers block really is, for my own benefit and that of others as well. Interestingly enough, the term ‘writer’s block’ was first introduced in the 1940s by a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler. For 20 yrs. he studied writers who suffered from ‘neurotic inhibitions of productivity’. I love that label.
Apparently, under stress, a human brain will shift control from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system. The limbic system directs the instinctual processes of the ‘fight or flight’ response. The limited input from the cerebral cortex hinders a person’s creative processes. The person is often unaware of the change, which may lead them to believe they are creatively ‘blocked’.
Blocked writers may have an increased aversion to solitude. Which is a major problem, since writing usually requires time alone. Author Phyliss Kestenbaum found that she needed to write in order to be aware of emotions. But when she fell out of touch with her own emotions, she couldn’t write.
I am one of those writers who has stopped writing. Not entirely though. I still write daily in my personal journal, still write some flash fiction each week, and the odd poem. But indeed, I have stopped writing my novel. I finished a rough first draft. Then started to self-edit it, only to find out I didn’t know much about editing. So I decided to learn about editing. But now my problem seems to be that I’m overwhelmed by the immense complexity of properly editing a novel. And to boot, every time someone asks me what my novel is about and I tell them, I pause and I ask myself, is that really what it’s about? What was I, what am I really trying to say with my book? All I really know is that I haven’t done anything in a couple of months. I am not writing. I am on some sort of self-imposed sabbatical.
I told my brother Mike about not working on my novel. That I might just give up on it. That really, I’d be happy just to work in the yard, do a few projects around the house, go out for coffee, go to book groups, and socialize a few nights a week. Mike said that the people in town would begin to recognize me by my routines, ‘There goes old Mr. McLoughlin. Comes to town every Wednesday for his trip to the library and the coffee shop. Yep, just like clockwork.’ He said, ‘Is that really what you want to do with your one chance at life?’
Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about what might have led me to this place of not writing. It might be that writing a novel might just be too big of a project for me. That I don’t have the skills to pull it off. Then I think of all the times I’ve seen mediocre authors putting out mediocre books, and I think sheesh, I can and will do better than that. I’ve also had a problem trying to write so that I will please everyone and offend no one. That has been exhausting. I have been toying with the idea of ‘jumping ship’. To just walk away from novel writing altogether. I have decided that this is not an option. The novel I finish may not resemble what I originally intended, but I will finish it. Because if I am really a writer, I won’t get stuck for too long, not for good. I also have questioned whether I have the passion to finish. If I can still get excited like you do when you start anything new. It does seem that there is still a spark there.
To finish my novel, to get past my writers block I need discipline, creativity, knowledge, and passion. When I apply these four precepts to projects in other areas of my life, I succeed. A simple formula. First thing is to set up a regular schedule for my writing. At the moment I write when I have time. And I have time as soon as I get this or that done. My writing plays second fiddle to almost everything else in my life, including getting the grass cut. Also, I am a pleasure puppy. I sit down to write and I get these strong emotional desires for conversation with known or random people I might run into if I only was out in the world. So from now on, mornings are my writing time. Everything else comes after lunch.
I plan to begin my mornings with a brief mantra which will validate myself as a writer who is going to accomplish much. I will spend a minute creating a bit of mental imagery, visualizing myself completing my writing goals for the day.
John Steinbeck said it is best not to write to a whole audience of readers. Just pick one person, real or imagined and write to that one person. So for my novel I will be deciding who that will be from my family, friends, or acquaintances.
Years ago, when I was in my most creative writing period in my life, I was taking photographs regularly. Which caused me to notice things in the world, in my community, in the little things we all live with day in and day out. So this week I bought a used digital camera. I will set aside a few hours each week to go out into town and notice things, then photograph them. I hope the experience will translate into a desire to also create unique images with my words when I sit down to write.
And lastly, I think the best way to end a creative writing block, is to read. Which I already do almost every day. But I will be reading with more appreciation of the story, the techniques used, the craft employed, and the enlightenment that can be gained through reading the written word.