What is writer’s block?
What is writer’s block and how does it feel to a writer? I asked some of my friends to chime in on this frustrating psychological condition. Photo credit: Unsplash.com.
If you’re not a writer, this news may shock you — writer’s block is real. Gasp! It’s not some made up construct like mermaids, unicorns, or you know, widespread voter fraud. Nor is writer’s block something authors collectively conjured up as an excuse to blow their deadlines. I’ll bet non-writers picture us authors sitting mournfully at our desks in our dusty, gloomy rooms. “Curses!” our imaginary writer shouts into oblivion, the back of his palm pressed woefully against his forehead. “I would create literary wonders that would break men’s hearts today — if only I could but find the words!”
No, writer’s block is not fiction. It exists and it’s awful. It’s an enemy to a writer’s flow. Writer’s block can do serious damage to a writer’s productivity, confidence, and enjoyment of the craft. Worse, a bad block can settle in and seem almost impossible to shake off.
Writer’s block symptoms
So, what is writer’s block, exactly? What’s going on inside our writerly bodies, and what does it feel like? Physically, the block is a mental reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. It’s like that “fight or flight” feeling you might get when facing an angry bear, except the bear only exists in your head. Psychologically, it’s a feeling of high anxiety that leads to immobility. Either you’re bereft of ideas or you think all your ideas are shit. Any words or sentences you do manage to wrangle out of the ether seem worthless once you see them on the page. Instead of writing, you stare at the screen or page. You agonize. You curse yourself. You sit there like a deer in the headlights as the block threatens to smash you into smithereens.
Writer’s block can last a few minutes, hours or even months. I know people that haven’t written in years because they claim to be blocked.
Writer’s block can result in lots of wasted paper. Photo credit: Unsplash.com.
What writer’s block feels like to me
For me, writer’s block comes on like a panic attack. My thoughts start to race in broken, scattered fragments. I get agitated. I may squirm in my chair, drum my fingers against the desk or steal several anxious glances out the window. My heartrate will quicken. My cheeks will get hot and turn red. I may even break out into a sweat. If it’s a bad block, my throat may close up until I almost can’t breathe.
But that’s just me. Let’s see how writer’s block feels to some of my friends:
How writer’s block feels to other writers
It’s a feeling of why bother?, a foggy ennui that only sodden firewood knows. — RSL
Feels like my brain is made out of slime. — Jenny
Like walking through a thick fog that clings to you, covers your eyes and muffles everything in a smothering embrace. — Douglas Marx
It’s like all the pictures that used to float around in your head swam out your ear, and they won’t come back unless you do something, but they won’t tell you what that something is. — Meigan Heile
Like a big black coffin sitting on my chest. — Gerald N.
It feels like being lost in a forest, unable to find the path out. — Leslie Lee
In conclusion
Take it from us storytellers, writer’s block isn’t a pleasant feeling.
In the past, I’ve shared tips for writers on how to find a good writing class. In upcoming posts, I’ll dive deeper into the topic of writer’s block. We’ll look at some of the causes of writer’s block and examine how to overcome it. Maybe if we creative folk understand what’s blocking us a little better, we’ll be more equipped to move past it the next time it strikes.
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