Squashing Writers Block
By Suzy Vadori
In my job as a Book Coach, I’ve spoken with hundreds of writers about the ups and downs in their writing productivity. Many of them report having what they call Writer’s Block at some point in their writing lives.
At the heart of it, Writer’s Block is a catch-all expression used to describe times when your writing isn’t getting done when you want it to. When this happens, it can be frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be scary. It definitely doesn’t have to be the end of your writing career. If your life is anything like mine, there are lots of things that don’t get done in a day. I’m sure you can relate.
If your writing isn’t going as well as you’d like, know that you’re not alone. Most writers, if not all, will experience times when their writing doesn’t “get done”.
The key to getting your writing mojo back is to figure out why you’re not writing in the first place. Here are some common reasons writers give.
Lack of Ideas. While you may start writing with lots of ideas swimming in your head, you might hit a writing wall where you don’t know what happens next in your story.
Lack of Time. You might lead a busy life, have family obligations or even have a demanding day job that you have to work around to fit your writing in. If you step away from a story for an extended period, it can be hard to get going again.
Lack of Confidence. If you’re worried about what others will think, or that your writing isn’t good enough, your thoughts can stop your creativity in its tracks.
Lack of a Plan. If you don’t have a clear idea on your next steps with a writing project, it might be because you haven’t defined your goals. Without a target to aim for, weeks and months can pass without making progress on your writing project.
Identifying why you’re not writing can be less daunting than labeling your lack of progress as Writer’s Block, which can seem insurmountable. If you find yourself not writing as much as you’d like, try one of the strategies I use with my Book Coaching clients. These strategies might help you squash Writer’s Block for good.
You can read the whole article in the May issue of Opal Writers’ magazine.
