Here I am again, after an unscheduled hiatus returning to the thing I love. You’d think that if I loved it so much, I’d have blog posts out daily, I’d be shouting my love for the blog on rooftops (or more likely, social media), I’d be utterly consumed by writing posts, creating graphics, all the things of a blog.
While I love it, It can be hard to get words on the screen. I’ve been hit. Not by a bus, not a sharp slap in the face – but by writer’s block. Yes, the myth, the legend, it’s real. It’s kept me from the page. Sure, I have been journaling daily, but any type of writing that’s for the blog hasn’t been written. I haven’t had any desire to return.
Writer’s block can be for all sorts of reasons.
Causes of Writer’s Block
- Exhaustion
- Fear of judgment
- The aim of perfection
- Distraction
- Passion has slowed
Why it Has Hit me
For me, it’s been kind of all over. I’m tired, and this summer has been a time where I can rest and revitalize other hobbies I didn’t give ANY time to enjoy while at school. I’ve spent my days reading and catching up on TV shows. I’ve read some good sci-fi novels, while also revisiting some classics I had started but never finished. In terms of TV shows, I’ve been watching The Bachelorette. This season of the Bachelor franchise has been a favorite of mine. Hannah has been fun and quirky, and her interactions with the men on this season have been really sweet. I’m rooting for her. I’ve also been watching Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey, and a few other random shows on Netflix. Send me some recommendations! I’m looking for period dramas to watch.
How to Cure it
In curing writer’s block (honestly, it feels like a languishing illness you’ll never recover from), you just need to write. Without all the self-editing. Do you ever find yourself editing a sentence you just wrote? You need to remember that sentences on their own can be powerful, but you’ll never understand the impact they’ll have if you edit them on their own.
Maybe it’s a break you need. Shut off the tech and let yourself dive into someone else’s story. Might I suggest a book? Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young. If you like sci-fi, a good mystery, and philosophical questions, ‘tis the book for you.
Maybe you’re afraid of being judged by your work. If you never dare to write because of a rejection that has yet to occur, you are letting a critic be a louder voice in the narrative you want to tell. And that’s not okay, since you’re the one in charge of the story, anyway.
Maybe you want all the words to come out perfect on your very first try. And every time you write a sentence that isn’t perfect down to the last letter of the last word, you erase it, you’re not letting yourself try. Having such high expectations the first time around kills the masterpiece you’d create – if you’d give it time to be honed and edited.
When you’ve been distracted by responsibilities, forgive yourself. Not every day should you expect Romeo and Juliet to come out of you and sometimes life gets in the way. Don’t get too down on yourself – and focus. Focus on the project ahead of you and the excitement of building something new.
When the passion wanes, just start again. I’m not trying to romanticize this whole process of getting words on a page. Sometimes it’s just hard. Sometimes you have nothing to say. But remember this – you can’t spark a love for something by walking away. There are times you have to sit down and start anyway. Start despite the presence of your doubt and your fear, despite your passion gone.
At the Very Least,
Let your work be a mess. Let your mess be a marker. A marker of progress and growth. Because having something on the page is better than staring at nothing at all. Plus you’ll have a lot more to work with.
Words are funny things. They will grow if you dare them to flow right out of you. Give it a shot. Make a mess and share it with the world.
Signing off, Gigi
Where are you when you write? A coffee house or in your bed at home? Does it flow or do you struggle? How’s editing? I want to know about you, so comment below!
