Writers Block: What You Need to Know

As a writer, either you have no time to write or the time you have to write is blocked by what we call, "Writer's Block". Shhh, you are going to be let in on a secret that other writer's don't want you to know: believe it or not - there is no such thing as writer's block. Really. Seriously. But you've been told there is, so you use it as an excuse. You might have a roadblock in your story telling, but you definitely do not have writer's block. Why? Because - writer's block is a myth.

At least tell yourself that.

"Writer's block" by definition (according to Wikipedia) is a condition, associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task in hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked" writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers.

Based on that definition, the worst thing that could happen is that a writer quits writing! That is pretty drastic. Especially when writer's block is all in the head, and as stated above, there is no such thing. All a writer has to do is write something new and viola - writer's block be gone! So if a writer has something down on paper, they are no longer blocked.

If a writer just writes (and writes anything), they do not have writer's block. They may have a problem with an idea or story arch, but they can get out of writer's block by writing a letter to mom, by writing sentences spawned by writing prompts, or by writing a note on the wall on what to buy from the grocery store and why. All this is "new work".

And based on the oh-so-reliable Wikipedia definition, writer's block is when an author loses the ability to produce 'new work'.

If a writer is prepared, their story is outlined. At the moment of the so-called writer's block (which we already established that there is no such thing), a writer should go to their outline and come up with writing prompts where their story left off.

If a writer is story blocked, and suddenly the fear writer's block sets in, then immediately create something new. Write a letter to your best friend or hate mail to your worst enemy. Write prose on why milk is an essential grocery store purchase today. Write random ideas that can spark writing prompts that you can incorporate into free writing or into the story itself.

The bottom line is: you've overcome writer's block; you've written something new; you defeated what you were supposed to defeat which is - the block in your brain.

As Nike's slogan states, "Just do it" for athletes, well, "Just write it" is something a writer can say whenever he or she 'thinks' they have writer's block... when really... there is no such thing.

So write something new and your excuses about writer's block will be invalid and won't stick in your head - which is what stops you from writing anyway - your head. "Just write it" and keep writing it and defeat writer's block.

Oh yeah, so soon we forgot: Writer's block? There's no such thing.