Ever since I first got involved with writing communities, I’ve heard the age old debate on writer’s block and whether or not it’s real. Is it an excuse to not write, a phrase to express that you’re stuck, or is it an actual disorder? The McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine classifies writer’s block as an “occupational neurosis”. Neurosis, guys! Do writers actually suffer from such high levels of distress during these times that we’re considered neurotic?
Personally, I don’t think so.
I’ve suffered from a lack of motivation and inspiration, as all writers have. I think, however, that it is something that all writers can overcome, without being classified as neurotic. Peter De Vries once said, “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” Jack London was thinking along the same lines when he said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” You’ll have days when all of the plot bunnies in your head just keep on breeding, but you’ll also have days where a coyote sneaks in and eats all your plot bunnies. That’s normal.
The best cure for it? Just keep writing. Eventually something you like will come out. If that doesn’t work for you, try something new. Collaboration is one of my favourite techniques. I get stuck a lot. A lot. When that happens, I explain what’s happened so far to Josh, and he’ll help get me going again. Here’s an example from just the other day, when I wasn’t exactly stuck with my planning, but I was feeling overwhelmed and lost within the possibilities:
Jess: It’s a dystopia, but I want to have some people/aliens who oppose it.
Josh: Okay, how did they oppose it. Did they send letters? To where? To whom?
Jess: I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF LETTERS EXIST. I NEED TO WORLD-BUILD.
Josh: This is how you build shit. You start with an idea and you ask questions until you find out if letters exist.
Jess: Build a world for me.
Josh: No. Build it yourself.
While that’s usually as helpful as Josh gets, and it always ends with him being a jerk, it helps me see things from a different perspective, often causing me to feel more inspired.
Another tactic which I only just discovered works for me is flexing your creative muscle. A couple weeks ago, Josh and I decided to try to write novels in three days. After an hour and only 300 words written, I decided I needed a new idea, which was terrifying, as I always plan. I’ve never pantsed (“writing by the seat of your pants”) a novel before. But I buckled down, came up with a vague idea, and wrote close to 15,000 words in two days. Ultimately, I needed a break and didn’t finish, while Josh hit 30,000 words, but I still learned a valuable thing about myself. While I’m not a pantser, doing writing exercises like that felt really good. It reminded me that I can be creative and original. My advice is that if you get stuck, find a prompt, write a bit using that, and see if your creative juices start flowing again.
Sometimes, time doesn’t help. You just have to motivate and inspire yourself.
– Jess
Some Words Between Friends 