On writer's block
The aspiring, discouraged writer; writer's block as Resistance; overcoming writer's block in practice
October 2020: I began learning how to make digital art using Procreate by drawing a mushroom a day — this is one of my favorites so far. More on IG: jomel.draws
(New readers may want to check out the introduction to this writing blog for more context.)
The aspiring, discouraged writer
Bored and out of books to read on a family trip, I set out to write my own science fiction adventure with pencil, paper and a child’s optimism. I gave up after two pages and a few drawings. It turns out writing was harder than I thought!
Still, I wanted to write, to conjure up strange characters, settings, and stories of my own. But the more books I read and the more fictional worlds I escaped into, the more my admiration for their authors deepened into awe; and the more I doubted I could ever write as well as they did.
Discovering literature and poetry in college cemented my suspicion: writers were, quite simply, on a different plane of existence. The rest of us could only experience their genius secondhand.
Writer’s block as Resistance
I held on to my writerly aspirations, but could never seem to push past a growing writer’s block. Every failure convinced me further that I just didn’t have what it takes to become a writer.
Help arrived in the form of no-nonsense, tough-love encouragement when I came across The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Amazon affiliate link).
The book identifies all kinds of creative blocks as Resistance: something akin to an invisible force of nature, a slippery, powerful, implacable foe coming from within us. Resistance opposes Genius, the source of creativity, of our higher purpose and the fulfilment of our potential.
“Any act that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health, or integrity elicits Resistance.”
In the first part of the book, Pressfield describes various aspects and characteristics of Resistance, and lists its symptoms:
procrastination
vices
self-dramatization and victimhood
unhappiness
criticism and cruelty
self-doubt
fear
I experienced many of these symptoms myself, and always thought that I should first deal with these issues in order to get over my writer’s block and free myself to write.
But, Pressfield argues, this is exactly the wrong way around. In his own words:
“The athlete knows the day will never come when he wakes up pain-free. He has to play hurt.”
Resistance will always be there, and we just have to learn to deal with it.
“The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.”
There is no mystical secret to writing or any other creative pursuit. The only way to overcome Resistance is to commit and do the creative work itself.
Overcoming writer’s block in practice
Pithy, but it also sounds quite obvious and unhelpful: to overcome writer’s block, just commit to do the work and write. But how does this translate into actual practice?
Here I share some lessons learned and mistakes made in my creative struggle so far.
1. Believe that it’s possible to overcome
The first, crucial step for me was to demystify writing and creative work: to realize and believe that becoming a writer is possible, not impossible.
In other words, writing is not a divinely-bestowed talent, but a skill like any other that can be learned and developed — even by you and me.
2. Shun Resistance and just begin
Reading self-help and writing books always felt fulfilling and productive; in hindsight, I rarely accomplished anything with what I learned.
Without actually writing I was merely letting Resistance lull me to procrastination and complacency. If we really want to write: just start and do it now.
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now.”
W.H. Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition
A practice that’s been helping me to get the words out is called morning pages: three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing done first thing daily (from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (Amazon)).
I do mine on the computer and type for 30 minutes, without getting distracted or stopping. Questions like the following help me to get started and to keep going:
How is your body feeling right now?
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about recently?
What are you worried about? What are you happy about?
What (or why) do you want to write? Who do you want to write for?
What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
What’s stopping you from writing right now?
3. Seek and accept feedback
For years, I hesitated to show anyone my work. Without any readers, I had no way of knowing whether my writing was good or not, and as a result I barely improved as a writer.
I wish I could’ve told my earlier self: seek feedback as early as you can.
Even with just my wife and a few friends giving me feedback right now, my writing has become clearer and tighter. I hope to reach even more readers as I keep publishing these blog posts (I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback!).
Some further ideas I plan to try:
Participate in writing groups and communities.
Join writing competitions.
Submit contributions to magazines and collections.
Publish on other channels, like a personal website or social media.
4. Keep at it!
"I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp."
W. Somerset Maugham
Not every writing session will yield success; often it feels like a slog. Still, there is no other way to get better at writing than to keep writing.
Here are a few things that worked for me to keep me consistent:
Develop a note-taking habit (I currently use and love Roam). I find that notes become building blocks for longer pieces, and taking notes is good writing practice in itself.
Become more active on Twitter (@jimperio). It’s a great place to meet thoughtful people, encounter interesting ideas, and practice writing succinctly.
Daily or weekly commitments. Morning pages are my daily commitment, and this blog is a weekly one.
Have fun with it! While self-discipline is necessary, it works much better for me when I consciously keep a sense of play and fun in my writing, too.
Parting notes
“Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard. It's one of the hardest things that people do.”
William Zinsser, On Writing Well (Amazon)
It bears repeating: writing is hard. I still don’t know if I’ll ever write as well as the authors I admire — but I do know that I’ll never find out if I stop working at it. So I just remind myself every day to keep up the fight against Resistance, to come back and keep doing the work.
I’d like to end with a final quote from The War of Art, a reminder and encouragement for all of us who aspire to write and create:
“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got.”
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