Here’s some good advice for overcoming the state of writerly paralysis commonly referred to as “writer’s block.” As Scott Berkun points out, “writer’s block” is a misnomer for attention deficit disorder, laziness, or maybe even fear of writing.
“It’s not the fear of writing that blocks people, it’s fear of not writing well; something quite different. Certainly every writer has moments of paralysis, including myself, but the way out is to properly frame what’s going on, and writer’s block, as commonly misunderstood, is a red herring.”
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
>the way out is to properly frame what’s going on,
Richard, I’m not sure what you mean by “what’s going on” that needs to be properly framed.
Here’s what happens with me. When I have something to say, I have no trouble writing. None whatsoever. In poetry, it writes me. So I never have to worry about that. Poems just come out, when they want to. When they need to. But with prose, that’s a different matter.
I’ve never written a book and for a long time I’ve felt I lost the ability to do creative prose (which I was very good at, pre-high school education).
I wanted to do an autobiographical novel, I thought. I bought a Memory Grabber which was supposed to help me remember my life, more or less chronologically. But it j ust sat there, and nothing really grabbed me.
So I checked out a bunch of library books on writing one’s autobiography. One of the books talks about not organizing chronoligically, but by topic. The author has six or seven broad, general topics — something like “the birthing of things,” and “the endings of things.” Stuff like that.
Well, the concept was all I needed. I don’t use her categories at all. In fact, I now have 180+ pages finished, in one month, partly writing n ew stuff, partly by compiling various writings I’ve done since 1978. I spend a lot of time at it, but it does not take away from the necessities of my life. Since most of my transportation is public transit, I write everywhere I go.
Some samples from the Table of Contents are:
“AM I PSYCHIC?†OR, METAPHYSICS……………………..
started 1/17/07
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES …………………………………
CLOSET LIBERALS IN SEGREGATED TEXAS ………..…
SHOES – My lifetime of shoes, styles, and soles as reflected in the quiet revolution in American women’s freedom from painful shapes, heels, and soles ………………………..…………….…
Sandals …………………………………………………….
My Dance Shoes .………………………………………….
Boots ………………………………………………………
SKIN AND HAIR: No Chocolate for 11 Years! .……..….……..
Acne ruins your life ………………………………….…….
Natural hair is my crowning glory – how I discovered ……
Various skin ruinations ……………………………….……
Visits to the dermatologists ………………………………..
TRANSPORTATION …………………………………………..
MATH AND NUMBERS ………………………………………
COMPUTERS
Madness, and reluctant abandonment
of the typewriter .………………………………………….
ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE: Cycles of Love
and Indifference ……………………………………..…….
I BROKE THE CYCLE OF ABUSE ……………………………
CLOTHES AND JEWELRY ……………………………………
MEN …………………………………………………………….
WOMEN …………………………………………………………
PEOPLE I HAVE KNOWN………………………………..……
THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO ME ……………….…
AFRICA (followed briefly by Germany/Austria) ……………….
PEOPLE WHO LOVED ME …………………………………….
THE WORK I’VE DONE ………………………..……………..
THE “ME†OF DIFFERENT TIMES ………………………….
[more]
So, “reframing” for me has turned out to be “formatting” my thoughts and content so that it “fits” me. Obviously, poetry fits me or it would not be so easy for me. Now, this format fits me, whereas the chronological autobiography did not fit me. Thinking chronologically about my life caused boredom, frustration and what felt like “writer’s block,” but was not that at all.
Looking for examples, models, and doing research turned up the right thing — found the key to plug into. (I’ve always been good at following directions and copying styles, making things my own that way…..:-))
Yes, Matthew.
It reminds me of the old Gene Fowler quote: “Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.”
Agreed. I found that the best unblocking strategy for me was to give myself permission to write badly, even to try to do so on occasion. It’s easier for me to edit something bad or mediocre that is there rather than just sitting and staring into the Great Void. From the fertilizer comes the occasional flower.