Advice for Writers
Dealing with Writer's Block
Are you struggling to get down to your writing?
A lot of writers suffer from writer's block - a well known phenomenon that can seriously hinder the writing process. You can sit for hours staring at your PC, not being able to get started. Writer's block can last for anything from an hour, up to years, in fact, in writers such as Henry Roth, can last as long as six years! Thankfully this type of writer's block does seem to be quite rare and is generally exacerbated by external factors, such as social environment and pressures from work etc. However, before you end up like Jack from The Shining, it is a good idea to learn how to get yourself out of writer's block quickly and effectively to prevent a huge loss of time and confidence. After all, to a writer, hours can just whittle away and this is the point when you realise that you are blankly staring every minute away.
The first thing to remember, if faced with writer's block, is that it is a natural part of the writing process and you shouldn't panic about it. The more you panic, the more pressure you are putting on yourself to write, and the worse the problem becomes. Sometimes, you just need to take a step back from your writing and let your thoughts flow freely without pressurising yourself. One of the common causes of writer's block seems to be a feeling of total dissatisfaction with what you are doing and what you have achieved, leading to a constant cycle of dissatisfaction and then pressure to achieve. Here are a few suggestions of causes of these feelings and how to overcome them.
|
