By Pandora Ballard

Introduction

Do you love writing? So do I! Do you have points in time where you’re just stuck on your writing? So do I! I’d like to see a writer not experience that feeling of being stuck. The fact of the matter is that this feeling is unavoidable in the wondrous realm of writing. Let’s dive deeper into what this feeling is and what can be done about it.

Definition of Writer’s Block

This feeling – this blockage – has a name. Its name is writer’s block and it is the bane of any writer’s existence. So what is writer’s block? Google defines writer’s block as the following: “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.” What this means is that writer’s block can occur in any stage of the writing process. You could get stuck with plotting, if you plot before writing, or you could get stuck while writing and editing or any stage in between. There is no specific time where writer’s block occurs which makes it a pesky thing to deal with. The most we can do is figure out why it occurs and what we can do about it.

Why Does it Occur?

Internal Factors

There are a lot of internal factors to consider whenever writer’s block occurs. Some writers experience self-doubt because they compare their writing to others. This causes high expectations for the quality of their writing. I personally struggle with having too high expectations for my own writing. This, in turn, has caused a fear of criticism for my writing and, in some cases, caused me to talk negatively about my writing abilities.

External Factors

There are also external factors to be considered in why writer’s block occurs. This can include things like having a chaotic environment aht distracts writers from actually writing. Because this causes writers to want to do anything else but writing. This makes it especially important to have an environment you can trust to be not chaotic like an office space or quiet area of your home to do writing. Other factors can include being under a time crunch like a pressing deadline. However, I do want to note that having a set deadline does help some people.

Creative Blockages

Another way to look at writer’s block is a creative blockage. What this means is that you’ve focused on a topic so much that you have a lack of new ideas or a feeling like you’ve exhausted all possible angles on a topic. This is inevitable for any writer and it is why I’ve included it on the list of causes for writer’s block.

Mental Health Impact

Finally, there are some of the causes that are much more difficult to prevent. This can include things like stress, depression, and burnout. This makes it especially important to keep these factors in mind when determining why you are experiencing writer’s block.

Writer’s Block Coping Mechanisms

Take A Break

If there is one thing that every writer needs to learn how to do it is this simple thing: give yourself permission to take a break. The life of a writer isn’t spent writing day-in day-out. Writing can be a very enjoyable thing to do. Whether you write as a hobby or for your career, taking a break is okay. Spend some time with your loved ones. Maybe work on another hobby. Or perhaps even make some travel plans.

Whenever I find myself struggling to work on a project, instead of forcing myself to sit down and write I spend some time with the ones I love. I work on one of my many hobbies. For example I may work on a sewing or crochet project. Maybe play a video game for a bit. Or, and this is something I’m doing to work on my confidence as well, I may do a livestream on Twitch (feel free to follow me, pandorabplays, on Twitch).

What I’m getting at is needing to take a break does not make you a bad writer. I doubt anyone can focus the entirety of their life solely on writing alone. Taking breaks is healthy and avoiding them is neglecting your personal health and needs. Which brings me into my next point.

Practice Self-Care

This sounds simple in theory but it can be very difficult in practice. Personally, it can be extremely difficult for me especially whenever I hit a period of stress in my life. Which is exactly why I bring it up in the event that there are other writers like me who struggle to put passion projects to the side for a moment to practice self-care.

Prioritizing self-care, as previously mentioned, does not make you a bad writer by any means. I applaud any creative mind who recognizes the need to set a clear boundary for themselves to prioritize yourself. You can’t do your best work if you’re not taking care of yourself. This goes for any field of work. Whether you are in the writing industry or something else, people in general tend to do their best work when they feel they are at their best health-wise.

By “health” I don’t mean simply making sure you’re eating right and exercising. While that is an important factor, I find it important to always keep your mental health as a priority. For example, I have social anxiety. If you don’t know what social anxiety is let me provide a brief explanation for it. The way my anxiety affects me most is through overthinking the social interactions I have. What this means is while I am good at reading between the lines when it comes to interacting with people, that often leads to me overthinking those same interactions. When I find my “anxiety brain” is trying to yell at me too much regarding my work as a writer, I take a break and figure out the root of why my anxiety is acting up.

Taking this break not only improves my mental health but also informs me which thoughts are coming from my “anxiety brain” and which thoughts are coming from my “editor brain.” Trust me when I tell you that I’ve found a noticeable difference between the two. Everyone experiences mental health differently. Ultimately, if you find your mental health is too challenging to deal with on your own, reach out to a loved one or even seek professional help. My therapist has helped me so much and I can absolutely recommend that therapy is amazing to help find ways to quiet the “anxiety brain” to get back to writing.

Conclusion

Writer’s block is no simple thing to deal with and I wish I had the answer to get rid of it altogether. I, unfortunately, don’t have that capability. I’d be surprised if anyone does. But while writer’s block is inevitable and frustrating to deal with there are ways to make it easier to work through. If what I’ve said here has helped even just one person outside of myself that is amazing! It took me literal years to figure out the best way for me to deal with writer’s block and I hope this has helped you get closer to figuring out your process as well!