Causes of Writer’s Block
Writer’s block can be caused by several factors. Here are just a few:
1) Being overwhelmed by too many topic choices. This has been a problem for me lately. There are so many important events occurring all at once right now that I haven’t been sure how to choose which one to write about. I’ve mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic a few times in previous posts, but there’s so much more to say about it. Should I write in more depth about this historic health issue? Or maybe I should write about the global economic crisis that’s occurring. So many of us know people who have been furloughed or lost their jobs that this topic seems pressing. Or maybe I should try to delve into the racial unrest that began in May in the United States and then spread globally. Or what about the environmental protection rollbacks we’re seeing in the United States right now? Which of these topics is most important? How should I choose?
2) Not knowing enough about the topic. This has also been a problem for me lately. While I know more than some people about all the topics I listed above, I don’t know enough about any of them that I would consider myself an expert. A strategy I often use for dealing with this dilemma is to conduct more research into the topic to feel more equipped to write about it, but this requires choosing one of the topics to research, which just sends me back to dilemma #1. It seems I’m in a bit of a vicious circle here.
3) Worrying about how my words will be received. When contemplating writing about such emotionally-laden and potentially controversial topics, I admit I worry about how my words will be received. Of course I’m always ready to engage in dialogue about my ideas, but when it comes to the topics I’ve been considering, I worry about upsetting whatever semblance of equilibrium we’re all experiencing at this time. We all have so many problems we’re dealing with and witnessing right now, do I really want to stir the pot and risk upsetting people who are possibly already upset? I admit I’m not feeling very brave about taking that risk right now.
Do any of these causes of writer’s block seem familiar to you? There are other causes, of course. Which ones have you faced that I haven’t mentioned here?
Overcoming Writer’s Block
When writer’s block strikes, there are several ways to overcome it. How do you usually get through or around your blocks? Here are a few suggestions I’ve found useful:
1) Look to others for inspiration. Although I decided to write about writer’s block instead of one of the other topics I listed above, when I felt blocked before making that decision, I looked at what others have had to say about similar topics. When it comes to racial unrest, I looked at Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem.” When it comes to environmental concerns, I looked at William Wordsworth’s poem “The World Is Too Much With Us.” When it comes to feeling overwhelmed by choices, I looked at Edvard Munch’s The Scream. Looking at all of these inspirational works has given me more to think about, ideas that I may decide to revisit in future blog posts.
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2) Choose a different topic. This is the approach I’ve taken with this blog post. Rather than tackle one of the topics I listed above, I decided to write about writer’s block instead. Making this choice was freeing, as it meant I didn’t have to choose an item from that long list at all. Instead, I could choose something entirely different. I can set aside that long list of topics for another time, or I can just set it aside completely. There’s nothing that says I have to write about every idea that crosses my mind. Instead, I can make topic choices that work for me and that my readers, hopefully, find interesting.
3) Break the task into smaller parts. Usually, once I settle on a topic for my blog posts, I sit down and write each post all at once. As I’m writing, I look up any resources I might want to link to or refer to in my writing. I usually write sequentially, from start to finish, generally without any long breaks. Sometimes, if my post becomes lengthy, I’ll take a meal break and then pick back up where I left off, but often this doesn’t happen. However, with this blog post, I worked differently. Instead of writing nonstop from start to finish, I wrote the post in chunks. First, I wrote the opening paragraph and numbers 1 and 2 in the first list, then I moved on to the transition paragraph and numbers 1, 2, and the start of number 4 in the second list, which was originally number 3. When I wrote these chunks, I didn’t take the time to look up the links I’ve since included, although I had a few of them in mind. Then I set the blog aside and came back to it a few days later. At that point, I looked up and inserted the links I wanted to use, wrote number 3 in the first list, inserted a new number 3 in the second list, and then finished writing number 4 in the second list. Also, as I wrote this blog post, I noticed myself going back and re-reading what I had already written as I wrote new sections, which I don’t usually do. I usually save re-reading and revising for my final step. The process of writing this blog post was slower than I’m used to, but I ended up with a blog post I felt I could publish. In my teaching of writing, I’ve usually tried to make a point of sharing with my students the importance not only of knowing what writing process usually works best for them but also of being aware of other processes. That way, if their usual process doesn’t work for some reason, they have backup strategies they can use instead. Writing this blog post was an example of putting this lesson to use in my own writing.
4) Take your time. I’ve certainly benefitted from this approach over the past month. I’m fortunate I have no deadlines to meet when it comes to this blog; my only pressure to publish is self-imposed. This is not the case in my professional writing. But when I have limitless time to come up with a new blog post, it’s a luxury. A friend of mine reminded me of this when he suggested maybe I didn’t have writer’s block at all but was just saving the words until they were ready to come out. Taking more time can be a great approach for overcoming writer’s block because it gives our minds a chance to work out options for proceeding.
Just as with my list of possible causes of writer’s block, this list of ways for overcoming writer’s block is not exhaustive. There are lots of other strategies to use. What other ways have you found to write when it felt like words escaped you?
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