Writer's Block and Biology

[Pennguin]

I have a workshop tucked away on this very subject. Writer's block is a pain in the fluffer, no matter who you are. It causes a lot of frustration, and people offer some very good advice on continuing the creative process. Sometimes, those tactics are just the ticket. Sometimes, the suggested methods are lunacy, but if it works, I won't knock it. In studying the "left and right" brains, as well as the "reptile-mammal-human" brain (or however you understand it), I have arrived at a few conclusions. A lot of writer's block I see comes from stress, but not always the kind of stress you'd expect.

My current situation allows me to make my own hours, and to spend more time writing than most folks who work a "regular job." That being said, I try to write four to six hours per day, with one day off each week. Before I sit down to write, though, I make sure I'm rested, that I've eaten well, that I've attended to any pressing business (phone calls, emails, appointments, etc.), handled any disagreements with anyone to the best of my ability, and that I'm not feeling "down" or isolated. If I feel any of these things out of whack, I do what I need to correct them. It's easy to remember the acronym "HALT." Hungry, Angry, Lazy/Lonely, Tired.

I'm what some would call a "reformed addict" to various things. That is, I'm still technically an addict, but have not indulged my addiction in some time. That thing about alcoholics not going into a bar? Well, I've never been an alcoholic, but for the purposes of the metaphor, it's been a while since I've been to a bar. HALT was essential in warding off cravings for my addictions. If I fell victim to the kind of stress HALT describes, I dropped my guard and sought out my addictions. When I was managing myself well, taking my prescribed medications, and had the time, I could, on occasion, produce about 15,000 words. I have bipolar disorder, so I have to be careful, since that kind of productivity can be a symptom of mania.

Self-awareness is key. We can become so focused on writing that when the body finally says, "I'm too stressed to work," we think it's a creative problem. The lack of creativity is only a symptom of a deeper problem, usually. There are more detailed explanations of what falls under "HALT" in my workshop, but that's still being formed. I will say that breaks and rest, especially from the creative process, are necessary for the creative process to continue. As one with mental issues and a physical disability, I have thoroughly researched this subject and continue to do so.

It's equal parts creativity and science, with a touch of The Art of War.

 

[veinglory]

It's a way of understanding things that helped you and might help others. But both reptile brain and left/right brain as used in this kind of theory are metaphors not literal brain science.

 

[Pennguin]

It's a way of understanding things that helped you and might help others. But both reptile brain and left/right brain as used in this kind of theory are metaphors not literal brain science.

What do you mean, it's not "literal brain science?" I'm confused. My workshop is presented as a writer, not a scientist, but still, I'm pretty sure there's a fair amount of science in explaining my theories. That hasn't been reflected so much here, but I could go into the details about the "why" and "how" HALT affects the brain and body. I didn't feel the need to do so here. I only wished to offer that using HALT can be helpful. That part is not scientific, but I'm not sure what you mean when you say the "reptile brain" (and so forth) and the "left/right brain" are metaphors, "not literal brain science."

 

[veinglory]

I mean that the writing on these theories was based on assumptions that later neurological work found to be incorrect. Hemisphericity is real, but the qualities assigned to the right and left brain , as we experience them, are whole brain events are not hemisphere specific. In terms of actual neurology there are not "right brain" and "left brain" people--these are now acceptable as metaphorical descriptions of temperament traits that occur in the whole brain. The reptile brain idea is even older and now belongs on a similar box to "Ontology recapitulates phylogeny". There are evolutionary more ancient and more recent innate motivations, but they do not connect directly to medulla, cerebullum and cortex as was originally suggested.

 

[Pennguin]

I mean that the writing on these theories was based on assumptions that later neurological work found to be incorrect. Hemisphericity is real, but the qualities assigned to the right and left brain , as we experience them, are whole brain events are not hemisphere specific. In terms of actual neurology there are not "right brain" and "left brain" people--these are now acceptable as metaphorical descriptions of temperament traits that occur in the whole brain. The reptile brain idea is even older and now belongs on a similar box to "Ontology recapitulates phylogeny". There are evolutionary more ancient and more recent innate motivations, but they do not connect directly to medulla, cerebullum and cortex as was originally suggested.

Ah, okay. Now we're on the same page. This is why my workshop is still in development. I do explain in my workshop that the whole brain is involved, and the "left" and "right" are an overly simplistic way of looking at it. You can't write, for instance, without accessing "both sides" of the brain. As far as the "reptile brain idea," I wasn't aware it wasn't up to date. More research. Darn. Twist my arm.

Thank you for your clarification.