Many writers struggle with “writer’s block.” They say they just don’t feel inspired to write, that the muse just isn’t there any longer.
I call bullshit on that idea.
Writing –professional writing, that is, where you expect a paycheck — isn’t something you only do when you feel the hand of God reaching down from heaven to inspire you. Writing is a job, just like any other source of a paycheck. If you’re not putting in the hours, you’re not going to see any results. Just like at your “day job:” if you don’t do the work, you won’t get paid.
So what is writer’s block anyway? I think a good bit of it is the result of false expectations. Some writer think they should feel “inspired” whenever they sit down to write. It’s just not like that, though. Writing can be difficult. It can be a hard road to a finished novel. You should expect to sweat and moan and feel hopeless at times. There should be pain.
There’s a reason writers compare producing a novel to birthing a child.
I think other writers aren’t paying attention to their inner muse, though. Sometimes, a writer will get off on a tangent and the story veers away from what is logical and sensible. In that case, “writer’s block” is a signal that you need to dig back and find the last place where the plot made sense — and start over from that point without veering away from the main storyline. This doesn’t mean that you should follow your first outline no matter what. But if it’s getting harder and harder to make your characters do what you want and harder and harder to come up with the next scene, maybe you’ve hit this sort of block and need to rethink things.
I, myself, have never actually experienced “writer’s block.” Oh, I have days when I’ll think of any excuse not to write. I have days when it’s like pulling teeth to get 250 words onto the page. I have days when I’m just not feeling it. But do you know what?
I keep slogging away at it.
Because that’s what a professional does. You have to stay at that grindstone until you see some results. You have to sit at the desk and produce something that can be whipped into shape later on. After all, you can’t edit a blank page. If you don’t put in some effort, you’ll never train that muse to come on command.
What do you do to combat “writer’s block?”
