I’m Not Sure I Believe in Writer’s Block

I get stuck sometimes – but that’s not writer’s block.

Lots of people have heard of writer’s block.

It’s an unfortunate occurrence when a writer can’t write. No ideas are coming, the story isn’t working, or they just have lost passion for their art.

I’m not entirely sure I believe in writer’s block. While I’ve gotten stuck a time or two – and found a project to have hit a wall – I’ve always been able to work past it somehow.

To be fair, that meant I might walk away for a while. Or work on another project. But writer’s block – and being completely unable to write – is not something I’ve experienced.

A quick Google search turns up lots of different definitions for and perspectives on writer’s block. And perhaps some writers really do consider this to be the ultimate struggle. But I don’t see it that way.

Maybe that’s just me. But then, there are other concepts people see clearly that I don’t believe.

For example – sin. I don’t believe in sin.

Sin is defined as a transgression against god. And wow, there are a LOT of things that get lumped into this category. But in my opinion, more often than not, sin becomes an excuse. If you transgress against an unseen entity – it’s far easier to seek forgiveness from that entity.

On the other hand, if you did something wrong, foolish, or stupid – you need forgiveness from another person – or yourself. That’s harder to seek out.

Hence, in my opinion, writer’s block is much the same.

An (in)convenient excuse?

Normally, this article would have been started over 2 hours prior to when I began to write it. I could blame writer’s block for that. But I also know full-well that’s a lie.

Part of the issue is that I already wrote an article today. The post I put out this morning.

Normally, I write a day ahead of myself. Articles posted Tuesday are written on Monday, while on Tuesday that essay I write will be posted Wednesday. But my Monday blog – usually written Saturday or Sunday – this time wasn’t written until Monday morning.

Once that was done, I got it posted. But now I still had the next blog to write. And no topic was coming to me.

It helps that I have general topics for every day I post except Friday. Thus, I know today the topic for tomorrow. That gives me direction and focus.

Yet I got to this and had no idea what to write about.

My excuse could have been writer’s block. I had all the classic signs of it. I was unfocused, nothing was coming to me as I stared at a blank screen, and I felt utterly uncreative. Work on my writing didn’t feel like something I desired to do.

But I made several choices and took steps to do other things to open my creative juices.

What did I do?

I read blogs from other authors
Drank coffee
Got up and walked some steps
Looked to old blogs on this topic for inspiration
Started my personal journal entry

The next step would have been meditating. But starting my personal journal entry gave me the impetus for this.

I’m not convinced there’s writer’s block

At the start of 2021, I began an old habit once again. For the first time in more than 15 years, I started keeping a personal journal.

Blogging is a form of journaling. And I share these ideas I have because I believe my journey – on whatever topic I’m writing about – might be familiar to you. Sharing it could offer help and insight to other people like you.

But a handwritten, personal journal is not shared. It’s accessible only to anyone who I allow to see it. Otherwise, it’s mine and mine alone.

For about a decade, I kept a regular journal. Entries were made at least weekly. But then I let that habit fall off – and journal entries in pen and paper became rare sporadic things.

But the tactile sensation of writing my thoughts down every weekday has proven enlightening. I’m able to gauge if I’m in a good or bad headspace on any given day. And that’s super empowering.

I find it easy to write in a journal daily. It might be utter crap, and it might be angry, meandering, bizarre, and deeply personal. But it’s writing.

Even when I am not writing intentional pieces of fiction and nonfiction – I can write. And that’s why I am not convinced that writer’s block is a real thing.

Yes, I have been well and truly stymied in the middle of writing a book. The original villain in the first fantasy Source Chronicles novel – Seeker – ceased to be the villain about halfway into writing it. I was totally stuck for a while – uncertain how to continue the story.

Arguably, that was writer’s block. But I know I was still writing other things at the time. So, was I really blocked? Or would that have been my excuse to give up?

Blocks, stoppages, and the like DO happen

I am not in any way, shape, or form belittling anyone who gets stuck. Maybe you have experienced total writer’s block. Perhaps you became so thoroughly blocked that you just could not write.

I concede it’s possible. Likewise, I suppose if you have a strong enough belief in god and needing his/her/its/their forgiveness for ‘sin’, you might believe in it – while I don’t. I’m not you – you’re not me.

But everyone has moments of loss. We all lose passion, drive, desire, inspiration, and the like. The Muse takes a holiday, and we have no creative juices. Not only does this apply to creatives – but everyone doing anything at all.

Labels can be useful for identifying diseases and illnesses. A diagnosis of depression by a doctor offers more avenues to solutions than chalking things up to mere uncertainty, discomfort, or the yips. On the other hand, however – sometimes labels create curtains you can hide behind.

The danger of attributing being unable to write to writer’s block is that it can become something much bigger. Not only might it be your reason for being unable to write – it could become your reason for refusing to shower, clean your home, interact with other people, and more.

I can’t go out with you – I have writer’s block. Of course, my house is a wreck – I’m dealing with writer’s block. Writer’s block has me not caring if I stink. So what if I am eating badly – I have writer’s block.

Now it’s an excuse. And that doesn’t serve you at all.

What does?

Mindfulness of writer’s block

It is completely normal to be unable to write. I go through this all the time. Is it writer’s block? To my mind – no.

Your mileage may vary. Maybe it is writer’s block for you. But unless you are utterly unable to write anything at all – I’d reevaluate.

Everyone has experiences that block them. We stop doing things we enjoy because of uncertainty, losses, grey skies, bad news, any and all sorts of other internal and external influences.

When you have that happen to you – whatever form it takes – the key to working it out is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is conscious awareness – here and now – of what you are thinking, what and how you are feeling, actions you are and are not taking, and intentions tied to them all.

When you are consciously aware of your thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions – you can work with any given situation blocking any activity you normally desire to do. It takes work, and it might take time and research. But it’s a choice you are empowered to make.

Everyone – yes, everyone – experiences this sort of thing in life. And we each get to decide if we live in the negative, expecting blocks and awfulness – or in the positive, where we see challenges and opportunities instead.

I know that I get stuck sometimes – but that’s not writer’s block. I have the power to work through it and keep doing what I love.

You are likewise empowered, too.