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Writer’s Block Doesn’t Exist

Put down your torches and pitchforks, hear me out. Since the dawn of the written word, people who put letters onto surfaces have been plagued by the curse known as “Writer’s Block”. Writer’s Block is characterized by a complete and utter lack of productivity in the pursuit of writing and may result in frustration, missed deadlines, and erosion of confidence. I have never experienced it, and I think it’s a myth.

“Poppycock, malarkey, balderdash!” you may be saying, and if you are, I’d laugh because those are adorable ways to call someone out on their bullshit. I promise it’s true, I have never had Writer’s Block. Does that mean I’m a fountain of prolific creativity? Nope. It just means I’ve never experienced the inability to put words onto paper because of something beyond my control.

Let’s explore the common symptoms of “Writer’s Block” and explore what may be the cause.

I Have No Ideas!

While preparing for this blog post I tried other ideas first. Initially, I was going to write about passive voice. I did the research, wrote about half of the article, started adding jokes and then… deleted it. I looked at my Evernote (a tool I’m a huge fan of) with other blog topics and wrote about ‘showing versus telling’. Again, I started writing and during my research I deleted the article. I even did a first draft of this article and promptly deleted it. Did I have writer’s block? No. I kept writing things, I just wasn’t happy with anything I wrote. So what was the problem?

Everything I wanted to write about had already been written. I found articles that perfectly explained what I wanted to explain. If I can find it with a quick Google search, why would anyone read my take on the subject? Instead of working, I deleted what I had done and stared at a blank screen trying to come up with a new idea. Then I realized it was my lack of confidence that prevented me from getting work done.

Sure, you can find all kinds of articles on Writer’s Block, passive voice, or showing versus telling but this is the only place you can find MY articles on those subjects. So I opened up Evernote (have you downloaded it yet?) and started drafting the version you’re reading now. Take that, Writer’s Block!

But My Ideas Suck!

All right, you’ve started writing things. You’ve got a decent rough draft going and as you read through it you realize it’s boring AF. This sends you into a downward spiral of misery that ends in a drug-fueled road trip through the Nevada desert or in some crazy lady’s cabin where she hobbles you. “Why can’t I come up with anything interesting?” you ask. “Why do I use so many adverbs? Why does everything I write sound like the same esoteric drivel I despise?” Instead of beating yourself up, ask yourself why you have these thoughts.

Who said what you wrote isn’t good? Only you have read it so far. Good is subjective, and if what you wrote resonates with you, then it’s bound to resonate with someone else too. I find when I’m beating myself up about a project it’s because I’m harping on a note I received at some point in my life. My wife is the first person to read most of my work, and she is always my biggest fan. She tells me constantly how much she likes a character or how funny she thought my jokes were. But the second she tells me I forgot a comma suddenly I’m deleting files and thinking of joining the circus because I’ll never amount to being a writer.

I’ve worked with editors before who don’t like certain aspects of my writing and I’ve had instructors give me criticism about other aspects. Over time, these opinions created their own personality in my head. That personality is hellbent on making sure I don’t get a damn thing done because everything I do is crap. That voice in my head is a manifestation of my lack of confidence. Every chance I get, I tell that personality to leave me the hell alone. 

Your first draft is never your final draft. You can fix things later. The hard part is getting it on the page.

The Thought Of Writing Makes Me Sick!

This is tricky. If you sit down to work on your project and feel ill, nauseous or stressed, that is when Writer’s Block feels most real. This happens to me when I’m editing. I’ve done so much, I’ve gotten so far on the project but now I have to sit and re-read it over and over until my eyes bleed. I despise it. I often get mopey and just want to start a new project. Well, I’ve thought about it and analyzed my behavior and think I’ve discovered why I feel this way.

Putting in the amount of effort it takes to finish a novel is hard. It takes a lot of time, a lot of patience and a lot of ibuprofen. I take about two years to finish a full-length novel, on average. At the end of all that, there’s a possibility that people won’t like it. They might even hate it. So why, WHY would I put myself through all the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to finish the project?

WHY would I put myself through all the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to finish the project? Because that’s how it works.

Kyle Winter, right now

Because that’s how it works. As a writer, you will write things that suck. That’s part of learning what doesn’t suck. The dread you feel sitting down to finish a project is likely because you don’t want it to be a waste of your time. What I’ve learned over the years is that no project, even the bad ones, are a waste of time. Think of it like experience in a video game. You do the same thing over and over until one day, DING!, things get easier and you have new tools to play with. Writing, especially professionally, is a lot like that.

 Not everything will be good. You will be criticized, sometimes harshly. The querying process alone is enough to break most writers. Moments like those erode our confidence (are you seeing a trend?) and make us question our sanity. But everyone who becomes successful has to start somewhere, and along the way they will make mistakes. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Don’t let them control you or your work. Try to use them as an opportunity to grow, so your next project will be that much better. 

The Bottom Line

Unless you have agraphia, you should always be able to put words onto paper. They might not always be good, but that’s what editing, beta readers and professional editors are for. Try to change your mindset and hold yourself accountable for a lack of productivity. Mechanics don’t get ‘Fixing Block’ and cooks don’t get ‘Cooking Block’ so why should writers be any different?

I feel that the biggest reason people struggle to produce content is not because their muse has left them, but their confidence. Trust in yourself, learn from your mistakes, and keep putting things onto paper. In time, those things will be good and eventually they may become great.

But only if you keep trying.

Further Reading

While the goal of my article is to change your mindset on the topic of Writer’s Block, some of you may still struggle. There have been a handful of studies on this topic. Some agree with me, some don’t. If interested, here are some links for further study.

Please share with people you think may enjoy it and don’t forget to follow me on Reedsy, Wattpad, Goodreads, BookBub, Facebook, and Amazon!

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Written by Kyle Winter
Writer, fighter, and amateur scientist.