How to Overcome Writer’s Block – The Ultimate Enemy of Creativity
- casalinm
- 1 dic 2021
- Tempo di lettura: 8 min
Aggiornamento: 13 dic 2021
This must've happened to you and to every writer you know. In this article we will take you through the different reasons why writer's block occurs and recommend different remedies against them!
How to Overcome Writer’s Block – The Ultimate Enemy of Creativity
Sitting in front of your laptop, notebook or (if you’re old-school enough) a typewriter without writing anything down, not because you don’t want to, but because you can’t.
No matter how much you try and think of something to write, you simply can’t come up with ideas, inspiration or words. If you’re into any form of creative writing, you’ve probably experienced it before – writer’s block.
There aren’t many feelings as frustrating as writer’s block, since it describes not being able to do what you desire, without you having any control over it. We all know what it feels like and we all want to get rid of it as soon as we can, which is most likely the reason why you’re here.
If you’re also experiencing writer’s block or are simply looking for pre-emptive measures in case it hits you in the future, we collected some tips for you on how to deal with writer’s block and ultimately overcome it.
In order to tackle writer’s block, we first have to look into what it actually is.
What is writer’s block?
Writer's block has been around since the dawn of time (or at least since writing has existed), so it's not a new phenomenon. The term itself, however, is relatively young. It was only introduced into scientific literature in the 1940s by a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler.
What followed was some research and study of writers who suffered from "neurotic inhibitions of productivity." The goal here: to find out why they were unable to be creative - and what could be done about it, if anything could be done about it. After numerous interviews and years of following the work of these writers, he discarded some of the then-current theories.
Blocked writers did not "dry themselves up" by depleting their supply of inspiration. Nor did they suffer from a lack of external motivation. They did not lack talent, they were not "just lazy," nor were they bored.
Even though all these explanations seem very conclusive, they do not provide a proper explanation. But then, what is the problem?
In subsequent years, researchers at Yale University began to gain a more empirically grounded understanding of what it means to be creatively blocked.
They recruited a variety of writers, some blocked and some not. The blocked writers had to meet a set of predetermined criteria: They had to provide objective evidence of their lack of writing progress (e.g., confirm that they had made no progress on their main project) and attest to a subjective sense of inability to write.
Symptoms had to have persisted for at least three months.
The absence of happiness
What the researchers found was no surprise. The blocked writers were unhappy.
Symptoms of depression and anxiety, including increased self-criticism and decreased enthusiasm and pride in work, were elevated in the blocked group; symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, such as repetition, self-doubt, procrastination, and perfectionism, also occurred, as did feelings of helplessness and "aversion to solitude"-a major problem, since writing usually requires time alone.
Still, there were some differences among the writers, because not every unhappy writer complains of the same struggles. The blocked writers could be divided into four types; you might find yourself in one of these groups:
In one group, anxiety and stress dominated; for them, the main obstacle to writing was deep emotional distress that robbed them of the joy of writing.
In another group, dissatisfaction was expressed on an interpersonal level, through anger and irritation with others.
A third group was apathetic and disengaged,
while a fourth group tended to be angry, hostile, and disappointed - their emotions were strongly negative, not just sad. So, depending on the group, the nature of writer's block also differs.
The first, more anxious group felt unmotivated because of excessive self-criticism-nothing they produced was good enough-although their imaginations remained relatively unimpaired.
The second, more socially hostile group was unmotivated because they did not want their work compared to the work of others.
The third, apathetic group seemed most blocked in their creativity. They lacked originality and felt the "rules" they were subjected to were too restrictive. Their motivation was also almost non-existent.
Finally, the fourth group, disgruntled and disappointed, tended to seek external motivation; they were driven by the need for attention and extrinsic rewards.
They were found to be more narcissistically inclined - and this narcissism shaped their work as writers. They did not want to share their mental images with others and preferred that they remain private.
Lack of motivation
However, there are some experiences that almost all blocked writers have in common. Almost all experience a decline in motivation; they feel less ambitious and find less joy in writing. They are also less creative.
Based on this knowledge, a solution approach was then sought: Exercises in focused mental imagination. While some of the blocked writers met in groups to discuss their difficulties, Barrios and Singer asked the others to participate in a systematic protocol designed to help them generate colourful mental images.
These writers sat in a dim, quiet room and considered a series of ten prompts that asked them to generate and then describe dreamlike creations. For example, they were asked to "imagine" a piece of music or a particular environment in nature.
They were then asked to visualize something from their current projects and then create a "dream-like experience" based on that project. This took a total of two weeks.
This approach proved to be quite successful. Writers who had participated in the intervention improved their ability to write and appeared more motivated and confident.
While it did not cure all writer's block, it seemed to show the creatively disturbed that they were still capable of creativity. In several cases, the exercises led to relief of writer's block over time.
Simply engaging in the creative elements seemed to lead to relief of the emotional symptoms thought to have caused the blockage in the first place, which reduced anxiety and increased self-confidence and motivation.
The therapy did not solve the creative blockage, but the creative training acted as a form of therapy. So nowadays we can assume that learning to do creative work of any kind - not just direct imagery exercises - can help against writer's block.
Our tips to tackle writer’s block
And what does that mean in concrete terms? What can you do against your writer's block? Here are our 8 tips on how to get rid of your writer’s block:
1. Reading someone else’s work
Reading is a good way to gather inspiration, perhaps even the best. It doesn't matter what form of text it is - novella, biographies, or other poetry. You can start with the works of your favorite author or artist, but also try to deal with unknown works.
The point is to gain new impressions and broaden your horizons!
Reading the words of another author on the page - an author who has most likely also overcome writer's block - will challenge you and motivate you to formulate your own words.
Taking inspiration from other writers is nothing new; the best poets in history did the same. Because writer's block afflicts the idle, not the literate.
2. Writing against writer's block
It doesn't matter if you're blocking words or if what you're writing is good, that's not the point - writer's block is the stagnation of writing. And what do you want to achieve by getting rid of the blockage? That's right, you want to write again. So do just that: just write.
Try copying out a poem or a song lyric and see what happens. Or create a to-do list, an outline for another project or story, a paragraph or two of free association.
So this approach draws heavily on the adage "fake it 'til you make it"
3. Use a prompt
Prompts are an effective way to overcome writer's block. When another brain issues a challenge, it can get a lot of writers going, including you. Prompts can be found all over the internet, including on our Twitter page (follow us @slampoetrytcd).
If those aren't enough for you, you can even take individual words, colours, or phrases as prompts and work from there.
4. Create a character
You want to know how to get rid of the block? Think of a character who has that answer because they overcame writer's block or for whatever reason - there's no limit to your creativity!
The character you describe in writing doesn't even have to have a meaning, just characteristics. A woman with red hair, green eyes and a pout. A man with a pimple face and a trucker hat. Put this character in a story and write about them by answering the question: Who is this?
Alternatively, you can create a version of yourself. Some of the best characters have been created this way. If the character turns into a cure, then you have created the right character.
5. Try out a different genre
If you're stagnating, try switching writing genres. Instead of poetry, try writing a short story or essay. The goal here is to break out of the routine and think outside the box.
Of course, you should return to poetry at some point, because we don't want to have to miss you in our club, but a little variety never hurts.
It's almost like you're taking a vacation from your usual writing style and vocation to discover a new voice. It's a new way of interpreting the world.
6. Try your hand at an art form you are not familiar with
The same principle as with the change of genre, but here we go one step further. This trick is one of the most fun ways to get the creative juices flowing. Singing, painting, sculpting or dancing - anything but writing.
7. Create a story-cycle
The story circle is a storytelling tool that helps you improve the structure of a story. Poems tell stories, you should know that by now, whether they are stories about people or about your feelings.
So improving the way you tell stories is beneficial to you, not only in terms of writer's block, but in terms of the quality of your stories.
As a writing exercise, writing down your story and looking at all the elements holistically can prove effective in overcoming your writer's block.
8. Try (or learn) a new language
The beauty of French, the structure of Japanese, the melody of Italian, the vowels of Arabic - learning another language or incorporating a language you already know can give you a great creative boost.
Different languages play differently with words and some even use words that don't exist in English. Challenge yourself and learn a new language! Most people who speak more than one language state that their personality, language use and banter changes based on the language they are speaking at that moment.
So, create an environment that is unfamiliar to you and use the new you to get rid of your writer's block.
Bottom-line
Hopefully, with these tips and tricks we could help you get rid of your writer's block and prevent the next one.
The most important thing to remember, however, is that everyone experiences writer's block at least once in their life. As long as you keep your eye on the ball and work to overcome it, you will.
If our tips haven't been any help, feel free to come to one of our upcoming events or workshops. The exchange with other creative minds might help you and give you a hand.
You can find the dates on our website at this link
If you have more tips that we didn’t think of, let us know! Leave a comment to share your own ways to cope with writer’s block or tell us, how our tips have worked for you.
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