I have a little secret: I don’t believe in writer’s block.
Whenever I tell people this, they always look at me like I’m crazy because for many writers, it seems to be a natural part of life.
Not for me.
You may ask why not, and my answer is simple. My daughter needs to eat. If I don’t write, that means I don’t get paid, which means she doesn’t eat. I mentioned in a previous blog post that you need to be clear on why you write. Writer’s block is one of the reasons I made this statement. My “why” for writing is absolutely my daughter. Among other things, I want to show her that even the craziest dreams can come true through God, hard work and perseverance.
I also have to make sure she eats.
I get this mental image in my head of her saying “Mommy, I’m hungry” when I see that blank page, and it fuels me. When I sit down to write and the words don’t come, I will literally type I don’t know what to write right now. That and the mental image of my hungry daughter seem to unleash my creativity and allow me to get into whatever I’m writing.
If typing those words doesn’t work for you. There are a few other reasons you may be suffering writer’s block:
- You haven’t developed your story enough. This is one of the reasons I’m not a fan of the “fly by the seat of your pants” method of writing. An outline gives me a general idea of the road ahead. Even if I get off course or get rerouted, I have a general idea how to get back on the right path.
- You need to do more research. This kind of goes along with your story not being developed. If you’re talking about pink tutus but haven’t researched the topic, how are you going to sound like an expert write about it?
- Maybe you think what you’re writing about will sound crazy to others, or maybe you’re scared of success. The truth is, fear can paralyze you into writing absolutely nothing.
When writer’s block strikes, I strongly encourage you to get clear on why you’re writing, then figure out what’s really going on with your story.
When has writer’s block struck you, and how have you overcome it?
