There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write. - Terry Pratchett
I don't believe in writer's block. Many of the 'serious' writers I've known in person and online don't, either. I agree with the one who says it's an indulgence of amateurs--when you've got a contract with a deadline and you either turn in a manuscript or return your advance, which you've already spent, you may find writing difficult and your results unsatisfying, but you do it anyway, because that’s what professional writers do: write.
However, I do believe in the realization that your current work is of such poor quality that you should abandon it. (Don’t delete it--the idea may be worthwhile even if the execution isn’t.)
I believe in inadequate preparation. If you don't know what happens next in your story, maybe you should plan the whole thing out before you begin writing. That could save you a lot of hours devoted to crafting dead ends.
I believe in inadequate organization, too.
I believe in writing yourself into a corner so tight that you either need to start over or abandon it. (“Damn, this only works if it was all a dream!”)
I believe in lost enthusiasm for a particular work.
I believe in lack of focus, in not knowing what your story’s really about and why these characters should tell it.
I believe in increasing boredom with an entire genre that’s become too familiar.
I believe in well-crafted characters you don’t want to spend time with. (Nobody else will, either.)
I believe in stories that require a daunting amount of preliminary research before you can write. (“Sure, that’s it, a police procedural following a serial killer who’s targeting milliners in 1910 Belgium--and the main policeman is gay!”)
I believe in shyness and lack of confidence that makes seeking expert advice or background hideously difficult or impossible.
I believe in not knowing how to start, or where to start, or even if you should start.
I believe in finding the need to learn basic writing mechanics so boring or off-putting that you’d rather procrastinate than spend the time it takes to master the main tools in your writer's tool box.
I believe in concluding that your whole concept is stupid, immature, derivative, impractical, embarrassing, too personal, legally actionable, or any of a host of other fatal flaws.
I believe in realizing that you're not as good as other people, the ones who ought to know, like teachers and fellow writers, think you are.
I believe in realizing that you're not as good as you think you are--or ought to be.
I believe in that ‘what’s-the-use’ attitude after you learn that your earliest writing is probably going to be pretty bad, compared to what you'll write later--if you improve.
I believe in the inability of writers to write characters well beyond their own age and/or situations well beyond their experiences (regardless of research)--and I believe in the incredible frustration of being young and bursting with ideas that you shouldn’t tackle yet.
Now, any of those can stop you dead in your tracks and keep you stopped. The question then becomes, how can you get started again?
Give yourself permission to write crap. Lousy idea, poor grammar and spelling (imagine me telling someone that!), stilted dialogue, thought or past events in action lines. Write it anyway. Written things can be revised or rewritten to improve them. The blank pages of the 'blocked' remain blank.
Change your writing environment. Try something radically different. If you write on your computer in a quiet room, try a spiral notebook in a park or coffee house, or ruled paper on your grandmother’s dining room table. (Not recommended: your blood on walls.)
Perform writing exercises. Daily, or at the start of every writing session. Prime the writing pump.
Move physically. Play a sport, go for a walk or run, swing on a playground, whatever you like, but get your blood pumping. When it's racing through your body, the brain gets plenty of oxygen--and ideas.
Give yourself blocks of unstructured time when you’re not likely to be sleepy. Find a quiet place, think about your current writing project, and let your mind wander. Rein it back to the subject as needed. This can be combined with physical movement that's not too demanding--a long walk may be an idea wellspring. (This is a biggie for me.)
Play 'What If' with your characters' present circumstances. You'll get a lot of ridiculous, over-the-top ideas, but sometimes you'll get something you can use. What if the kid cutting your hero's sandwich suddenly plunged that knife into the woman at the cash register? What if he merely put caustic chemicals in the mayonnaise? What if the sandwich and kid are fine, but the antagonist choked? What if your protagonist gave her sandwich to that lady over there who looks poor? What if she thanked you for it by giving you something valuable (that she didn't think was worth more than the sandwich)? What if you sold it and couldn’t find her to give her any of the money? What if she found you and demanded all of it? What if...
Write daily, every day, no exceptions, for a set amount of time. If you can't write, you must remain in your writing environment for the set amount of time anyway. Your choices are write and don’t write. No games, no internet, no texting, no music. (This is the BIC method--butt in chair--which is so often lauded here at AW.)
Stimulate your mind with new experiences. If you're a movie fan, see a play or watch street performance. Hear live music rather than CDs, or listen to something in a genre you know nothing about. Eavesdrop on or observe people unlike most of the ones you know. People watch (and invent lives for passers-by). Attend a sporting event (any kind, at any level) where you don't know anyone and watch the crowd rather than the players.
On waking, jot down the surrealistic snippets of whatever dreams you remember. They don't mean anything, IMO, but the odds are good that they're packed with drama. Write a scene as you recall it.
Just do it. You don't want to be a self-indulgent amateur, right?
Maryn, who's copied and pasted this many times in many places
