What is Writer's Block?

Writers block was first defined as an explanation for stuck writers relatively recently, less than 100 years ago.

What did writers blame for their lack of production before that, hmm?

Writer's block has been defined as the temporary loss of ability to continue writing, commonly due to a lack of inspiration or creativity. However, the concept of writer block has grown to include a number of ideas.

Included under "writer's block" are any delay in the "process" of writing, a lack of inspiration, and/or a lack of motivation. Since almost all writers go through stages and or encounters with these elements, it's been argued that all writers have suffered from writer's block.

Most writers who would describe themselves as blocked are working quite hard — reading, researching, writing plans and outlines, rewriting and editing… all the "right" things of writing. Their problem is that they are doing the right things at the wrong times or in the wrong amounts.

They have adopted a repetitive pattern of behavior that leads to being blocked and unproductive.

Writer block also has a peculiarity. It seldom applies to all writing.

A blocked writer can still write notes, letters, shopping lists or other types of writing different from where they are blocked. It also tends to occur at specific places in the writing process – someone may have written many pages of material and then get stuck moving to the next step in the process.

Contrary to common preconception, a certain personality type or disposition do not have any direct relationship to who gets blocked or how they get blocked.

The phrase "writer's block", offers insight as to how this is experienced. When describing their not being able to write, writers mention being immobilized, stranded, stuck, frozen, numb and paralyzed. The block is felt and that is certainly true for most who experience writer block. People describe it as a near physical block.

Writing requires both extensive visualization, thought and physical action (penmanship and typing) to transcribe the thought imagery into a book, story or argument. Writing is also best a multi-sensory activity. When viewed in that light, the descriptive physical activity language makes more sense.

What I find fascinating is that almost all authors struggle with the same doubts and yet so many can be productive in spite of those doubts. Doubts about their own worth, the value of their contribution, etc. But not comfortable, never comfortable – the cliche is that writing is one of the most uncomfortable, painful, gut wrenching things a person can do!

Yay! Are we masochists or what?

With blocks that happen at certain steps in the writing process, it's straight forward to understand how to bust the block. Change that pattern, and the block is gone.

If the writer is stuck in always having to take a break after writing a page and then just never gets back to writing again… the block-buster answer is clear. No breaks! If you write a paragraph and then have to research more, it's time to get clear on which you are doing. If it's writing time – then write. If it's researching time – then research! Not both.

If you must always research more in order to feel just a bit more comfortable with your output… the answer is in both lowering the standard of excellence required at the draft stage, and in using a research strategy that is fruitful and feels complete enough for what you are producing.

Recognizing and accurately setting a standard of excellence that matches your target audience is key! The standard of research needed for a book is different than the standard of research for a college paper.

Switching your writing process around and adjusting your standards of excellence based on what stage of the writing process you are in, are core steps to ending writer's block.

Also you may find that having access to brilliant imagery, that is unique, varied, useful and full of insight will both increase your output and increase the quality of that output.