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Writer's Block. It sounds like a fearsome condition, a creative blockage. The end of invention. But what is it, really?
Part of why Writer's Block sounds so dreadful and insurmountable is the fact that nobody ever takes it apart. People lump several different types of creative problems like writer's block into one broad category. In fact, there's no such thing as " Writer's Block " and treating a broad range of creative slowdowns as a single ailment just creates something monolithic and huge. Each type of creative slowdown has a different cause — and thus, a different solution.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the terrifying mystique of Writer's Block, it's better to take it apart and understand it — and then conquer it. Here are 10 types of Writer's Block and how to overcome each type.
You can't come up with an idea.This is the kind of writer's block where you literally have a blank page and you keep typing and erasing, or just staring at the screen until Angry Birds calls to you. You literally can't even get started because you have no clue what to write about, or what story you want to tell. You're stopped before you even start.
There are two pieces of good news for anyone dealing with writer's block : 1) Ideas are dime a dozen, and it's not that hard to get the idea pump primed. Execution is harder — of which more in a minute. 2) This is the kind of creative stoppage where all of the typical "do a writing exercise"-type stuff actually works. Do a ton of exercises to overcome writer's block, in fact. Try imagining what it would be like if a major incident in your life had turned out way differently. Try writing some fanfic, just to use existing characters as "training wheels." Try writing a scene where someone dies and someone else falls in love, even if it doesn't turn into a story. Think of something or someone that pisses you off, and write a totally mean satire or character assassination. (You'll revise it later, so don't worry about writing something libelous at this stage.) Etc. etc. This is the easiest problem to solve writer's block.
You have a ton of ideas but can't commit to any of them, and they all peter out.
Now this is slightly harder. Even this problem can take a few different forms — there's the ideas that you lose interest in after a few paragraphs, and then there's the idea that you thought was a novel, but it's actually a short story.
You have an outline but you can't get through this one part of it.Some writers work really well with an outline, some don't. For some writers, the point of having an outline is to have a road to drive off, a straight line to deviate from as far as possible. Plus, every project is different — even if you're an outline fan usually, there's always the possibility that you need to grope in the dark for this one particular story.
Actually, there are two different reasons you could be getting stuck:1) Your outline has a major flaw and you just won't admit it. You can't get from A to C, because B makes no sense. The characters won't do the things that B requires them to do, without breaking character. Or the logic of the story just won't work with B. If this is the case, you already know it, and it's just a matter of attacking your outline with a hacksaw.2) Your outline is basically fine, but there's a part that you can't get past. Because it's boring, or because you just can't quite see how to get from one narrative peak to the next. You have two cool moments, and you can't figure out how to get from one cool bit to the other.You're stuck in the middle and have no idea what happens next.
Sort of the opposite of problem #3. Either you don't have an outline, or you ditched it a while back. Actually, here's what seems to happen a lot - you were on a roll the day before, and you wrote a whole lot of promising developments and clever bits of business. And then you open your Word document today, and... you have no idea where this is going. You thought you left things in a great place to pick up the ball and keep running, and now you can't even see the next step.
IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON HIMSELF ....BUT I MYSELF I READ THE HOLLY QURAN IN THIS CASE
I think that "Writer's Block" is nothing but an illusion. It's either you have the urge to write or not!
Some writers sit down in front of a blank computer screen and hope for inspiration to hit them out of the blue. Others have the opposite problem, with ideas for plot twists, article topics, greeting card taglines and even song lyrics buzzing incessantly in their heads. In fact, when I asked 10 writers if they considered themselves sufferers of Too Many Ideas Syndrome (TMIS), the answer from all was a resounding “Yes.”
TMIS may not seem much of a problem, especially in an occupation that requires new ideas popping up regularly in order to drive creativity. But having too many ideas and no focus can be just as debilitating to a writer as staring at nothingness, especially if the syndrome causes indecision, procrastination, failure to meet deadlines, insomnia and anxiety. You don’t hear much about TMIS because complaining about being too creative is like complaining about being on The New York Times bestseller list too often.
Imagine standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store facing dozens of different breakfast options, trying to decide which one to buy. Should you go for the oat squares to reduce your cholesterol, even though you’re fairly certain they’ll taste like pine needles? Something with lots of sugar and a cartoon character on the box to remind you of your childhood? The bran flakes to keep you regular? There are so many choices and all of them seem good.
For many writers, that’s what it feels like every time they try to put words on a page. I know. I suffer from TMIS. At this very moment, my desk is covered with four freelance article ideas, a book outline, two greeting card projects and applications for seven writing competitions. Not to mention a list of baby names I’m using to try to name the characters in the musical I promised myself I’d finish soon.
Melissa Hart, author of The Assault of Laughter, says she’s been plagued with TMIS since she was 10 and her mother taught her how to write and submit a short story for publication. “Ever since then, my mind has been besieged with ideas for stories, novels, poems, magazine articles, op/ed pieces and children’s books. I wake up in the middle of the night with my head spinning. Sometimes I wish I’d chosen a more sensible career—like plumbing.”
There are strategies for coping with TMIS, and they aren’t as drastic as leaving the writing life for the snaking-the-drain life. Here are nine that may help you: 1. THE RED DRESS THEORY. I’ve been teaching this theory to my comedy-writing students for years. It’s based on the premise that at any party, there will be more women wearing black dresses than red ones—the red ones stand out and get attention. When faced with an overwhelming number of ideas, I try to evaluate them to see which one seems most like a red dress in a sea of black. For me, bold, brash ideas are almost always the ones that inspire and motivate me. 2. IT’S THE STUPID IDEA, STUPID. Tim Bete enjoys pursuing what he calls his stupid ideas. “My new book, Guide to Pirate Parenting, was the stupidest idea I ever had for a book,” he says. “But as the idea evolved, it became one of the best ideas. It just needed time to age. Time lets things percolate. If you keep thinking about a stupid idea over a long period of time, it may get legs—or, in my case, peg legs.” He may have a point. My bestselling book to date is Bedtime Stories for Dogs. That’s right—stories for dogs. Talk about crazy.
3. THIS IDEA HAS LEGS. Another way I deal with TMIS is to take my dogs for a walk. Not only do I think better on the move, but once I get away from the jumble of paper piled on my desk, things become clearer. I always carry a tape recorder so I can record ideas as I move. When I get back, whatever ideas I’ve been excited enough to talk about are those I’ll pursue first. Hart tucks a pen into her ponytail when she goes running so she can write good ideas on her hand while bad ideas fall by the wayside.
(More tips on how to overcome writer’s block.)
4. THE ASSIGNMENT IS DUE. Even if you don’t have a deadline, make one up. Too much time often exacerbates confusion and indecisiveness, especially when you’re faced with too many ideas. I’ve taught five-minute writing exercises in my classes for years and found they produce highly creative writing. Bete has similar advice: “Reduce the amount of time you have to write because less time means less wasted time on unproductive ideas.”
5. MIND OVER MIND. Many of the writers I spoke with rely heavily on their own imagination to cure TMIS. Susan Reinhardt, author of Don’t Sleep with a Bubba, thinks of her writing life as a garden. “I try to decide which of my ideas should be yanked out before they even make it to the page,” she says. Award-winning screenwriter Cynthia Whitcomb, who has sold 70 screenplays and seen 29 come to the screen, puts on a chef’s hat instead. Her advice: “Think of your ideas like pots on the stove in the kitchen of your creative mind. Lift the lids and look inside. One of them is always closest to being soup. Write that one first.”
6. GIVE IN TO PASSION. Many authors, especially nonfiction writers, gravitate to ideas about which they have the most passion. Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of bestselling women’s health books including her latest, Mother-Daughter Wisdom, says, “I go with the idea that brings me the most pleasure or has the most juice. For example, if I have to choose between writing about osteoporosis or writing about sex, I’m going to go with sex! But I also like to tackle subjects that bring up the crusader in me. I recently wrote about the HPV vaccine and why most women don’t need it.”
Wendy Maltz, a sex therapist who has written a number of self-help books, including The Sexual Healing Journey, says she writes only about things she feels passionate about. “I don’t even like writing, but I get all these ideas and writing is the best way to have the biggest social impact. I write out of a need to help, so I choose ideas that will benefit the most people and about which there is the least information available.”
7. ORGANIZE VISUALLY. Hart takes a very visual and organized approach to sorting through her ideas. “I’m a big fan of the bulletin-board approach. I have a huge board in my office. It helps me to be able to see my various projects. I can’t visualize computer files.” Many writers are highly visual and this approach can help a lot, especially if you color-code the cards pinned to your board.
8. GET (META) PHYSICAL. Dr. Northrup uses another kind of card to help her sort through her many ideas for projects. “I often make decisions using the Motherpeace Tarot card deck. Before cutting the cards, I ask for guidance. There’s no magic in these cards; they’re an intuition tool and help me get in touch with what my intuition is trying to tell me.”
9. THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR. Every writer needs a network of friends she can bounce ideas off of comfortably. There’s no quicker way to jettison a few ideas than pitching them to friends and have them give you that stare that says, “What else have you got?” Over the years, I’ve belonged to several writers’ groups but find I usually go back to the same three or four people for advice. I trust them to tell me the truth and help me sort good ideas from bad.
If you have TMIS, you don’t have to suffer in silence. You can use one or more of these ideas (yes, I realize the oxymoron in presenting an idea person with more ideas). I hope you’ll get relief quickly. If not, my only other advice is to choose the sugary cereal with the toy in it.
Listening to music can be a distraction when writing. I perfer to have a quiet place to write. I like to write while I am outside so I can focus on my writing without being interrupted. I do not take my cell phone because it is a distraction. It is too easy to pick up the phone when someone calls or play a game instead of writing.
Are you sure you are experiencing a Writer's Block? Or, you just feel like being lazy to work on your ideas? There's a huge difference between the two. A Writer's Block occurs when you feel like your head runs out of ideas - you feel like your head is already empty.
But you said you have many ideas and cannot work on it? How come?
Anyway, whatever it may be that bothers you, this is what I have to say: Just write down the key points or keywords of your ideas. So that when you are ready to write again, you would remember what to write about.
Hahaha. "Writer's block" is lame excuse when one don't want to continue writing and needs a pause. (Sorry to say). A very popular proverb comes to my mind on this condition in Punjabi language;"Man harami hujtan dher". It means when you don't want to do something there are piles of excuses.
However, to overcome such a condition, the best workable option is to start reading your own work thoroughly. It will energize you with new points to add in your text and will encourage you to start with a new enthusiasm.
I always practice it in such situation and it works amazingly. Sometimes I read my work more than a dozen times to recharge myself.
Yes. Music does help. My tip will be you should try and play soft music at low volume. One more thing i suggest is try to play a song that relates with the thought you are having while writing. It will keep the adrenaline going.
thanks for the invitation
I agree with specialties answers. Thanks.
Will totally depend on your mentality and specific likeness. As far as myself is concerned, I prefer working in a silent environment which could never break or divert my concentrations, but I have seen many of my colleagues, which can not even think about working without some music along with. So it's not necessary, will only depend on your likeness or dis-likeness.
I haven't tried
try gardens and fresh air for restarting
I would turn off the light, sleep on the ground, raise feet up for five minutes.
exercises might help
