"Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite: "Fool!" said my muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write."" - Philip Sydney from "Astrophel and Stella"
Wanna know what really grinds any writer's gears; be it an Author, Novelist, Poet, Column Writer, etc?
Its that period of time when everything is stagnant. Its that unpredictable amount of time when all of those great ideas that one has either vanish or never seem to piece together initially. Its that portion of your life where the most undeserving victims incur our wrath; and these victims are usually comprised of waste baskets filled past the brim with balls of paper, ink pens that are tapped against the edge of hard surfaces(including our heads) and pencils that find themselves inhumanely mangled between our teeth in confused anger.
There is nothing more frustrating to us than Writer's Block; especially for we poets of the world. Sydney is telling our life story with the aforementioned quote. We as writers undergo extensive or brief periods of writer's block until we have that epiphany moment of sorts where we are left slapping our palm against our head after realizing where our muse was the whole time. It doesn't always happen that way, though.The cure for writer's block won't always come in the form of a stirring moment of remembrance. In my honest opinion, I believe that writer's block can be easily rectified most times if not every time by first understanding what caused it in the first place; especially since there isn't necessarily one usual suspect here universally when it comes to writer's block occurring.
Take into consideration what may have been going on around you while you were trying to write. Some writers find themselves distracted easily; thus making it difficult for them to focus on their writing unless they are in complete solitude. For some time(and still to this day every now and then; although I am not easily distracted), I have found myself in this type of situation. I lived in a house full of people and the visitors of said people. There was always something going on or a huge crowd making as much unnecessary noise as is humanly possible. Foolish as it may be perceived, I tried drowning out the noise with the television or my own music. Not the best idea, of course. Drowning out noise requires louder noise; which will still defeat the manifest of what this writer is looking to attain: Solitude.
That peaceful silence may aid the writer's focus substantially; in turn helping the writer key in on his/her own thoughts instead of thoughts relative to what someone else is doing around them. Once this is achieved, the writer can have a fair, one on one battle with writer's block instead of one where the writer's surroundings places him/her at a severe disadvantage.
Getting rid of writer's block isn't necessarily always a matter of confrontation, though. There may be other ways to subvert something so frustrating. Some of us find that we have to be in a certain setting in order to successfully write. For some writers, solitude serves as their largest deterrent if that makes any sense. The desired setting may call for mild to frantic activity to surround that person. I've not met many people who will claim this as their preference, however. Some writers just want some music while they are writing; be it on a radio or in their headphones. I can definitely say that I enjoy listening to music in my ear buds while writing; but there is a lot more to it than just having earphones on for me. I have detailed preferences.
Music lends us the opportunity to counter writer's block from a number of different angles; like a misdirection strategy of sorts. While writer's block serves mainly to stall us in our writing; incurring aggravation and other means of distraction, music in many ways soothes the troubled mind and spirit(really Zen, huh?) in a manner that calms the writer; allowing him/her to find peace with oneself so that productivity can eventually commence once more. It should be noted, however that this calming sensation is not hinged upon what type of music the person is listening to.
Seriously. You don't have to listen to only Classical, Neo-Soul, R&B, or any soothing music in order to find your relaxation to avoid writer's block. I know some people who listen to rock music to get their desired degree of relaxation. I know others that listen to Hip-Hop; which is highly understandable given the lyricism. Peak lyricism gets the creative juices flowing consciously and some songs may even serve as a means of supplemental inspiration(a Muse, if you will.). Hell, I even know of one or two people that can only write when listening to Young Jeezy.
Don't ask me how that works out...
I can say that as a Poet, there are varying instances that must take place for me to write; especially if I am looking to rid myself of writer's block. There are some times when I find that I have to take my time and really think before keying in on my writing; which leaves me wanting to be closed off, in a matter of speaking. I must have total silence aside from an air conditioner unit blowing, of course. More often, however, I have become more accustomed to writing while listening to music. I'm able to spark some creativity contingent upon what I'm listening to at the time that may break me out of my stint of writer's block. I also find that I'm able to soothe myself with the melody and rhythm of the music or even the lyrical content therein; which in turn helps me better deal with writer's block and even offers me the elusive muse that I have been looking for given any certain amount of time. Music is one very potent accompaniment for literature as it stands; but there are times where it may serve best as a therapeutic means rather than just as a means of inspiration.
One thing to understand about writer's block is that you should never give into it. It should also be understood that choosing not to write at the time until you can figure things out is in no way to be perceived as giving into writer's block. I think this would illustrate what I mean:
This poor fellow here is engaging in an extremely counterproductive response to his writer's block. Not only does he miss the opportunity to go around his issue so that he can get back to his productivity; but he also chooses to give in to both writer's block and the frustration that it incites.
Banging your head against a wall, being short tempered and ridiculously scathing, or just being an overall hard person for anyone to find a plausible reason to be around won't make your situation better; whether you are dealing with writer's block or anything else in life. Giving in to writer's block involves feeding in to that frustration and aggravation; which only helps further the manifest of writer's block: distracting you from your manifest of writing.
Ever been around that family member that complains more about the chores that need to be done instead of actually doing them? How about that coworker that complains about their job so much that it causes a lapse in productivity across the board?
Gotten used to the rhetorical questions in my entries yet?
My point here is that nothing productive comes from succumbing to the anger that we can and most times will find ourselves privy to when it comes to writer's block. The first step to solving a problem involves acknowledging that it is a problem; but there is a large difference between acknowledging something and dwelling on it. Time is wasted and nothing is solved from dwelling on an issue. The issue will be as ever present as it was before we first noticed it and it will continue to be there if no further action is taken. Avoid the distractions, remain calm and focus on a productive solution to your problem. After all...
"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment." - Hilaire Belloc
Couldn't have stated it better. We often bring on our own distractions in our wandering. Not saying that this is always a bad thing, of course; but there are times where one's desired focus is compromised.
There are some that believe that the best way to rid oneself of writer's block is to just randomly write whatever comes to mind; even if it doesn't make sense or has absolutely no continuity to it. The general idea here is that one will eventually get to the point where he/she is either struck with inspiration or they will develop ideas based on what they wrote down that may forge some semblance of inspiration later on.
I can't say outright that I don't believe that this method is effective; but I do think that it harbors the potential to lead to what I consider to be a very distasteful habit later on. In my opinion, forcing your way through anything robs it of authenticity; especially when literature is involved. Forced work lacks the time, patience, care, love and dedication that is usually ever present in a complete piece of work; and it definitely shows itself as such when presented or observed.
Think about those sandwiches from your favorite fast food establishments that always look awesome on television commercials but never look even 1/4 as great when you purchase it.
Same concept, pretty much; especially for those writers that have garnered a measure of tenure among their contemporaries. Well known writers have a reputation to laud; so it would be surprising and disappointing for them to forcefully release material just to fit within the confines of a deadline or because they are frustrated over not writing as frequently as they would like to be writing.
If anybody knows anything about that, I surely do. It used to vex me to no end when I would go a certain amount of time without writing. what was only maybe a week or two felt like months to me(my wife reminds me of this constantly.) and I would find myself fighting the urge to just jot something down and put it out there just to say that I've written something. If you learn nothing else about me, you'll learn that I love my literature. I especially love my Poetry. I love it so much that I wouldn't dare disrespect it in that manner; and if you love what it is that you do, then you would make sure that you never disrespect it in that said manner either.
I've spoken with friends and contemporaries of mine regarding their perceived solutions to writer's block and they've even stated that their use of certain vices such as smoking or libation place them in a certain effect or "zone" for their creative thought processes. Now I'm not one to doubt their methods completely. I'm not and never will be a smoker; but I have written some rather awesome stanzas while enjoying a glass of whiskey every now and then.
As far as the effectiveness of these methods is concerned, I think that since writer's block already does enough to impair one's creative thought process, it may not prove beneficial to compromise it further.
This is just my opinion, of course. Feel free to engage in whichever method or series of steps you deem effective.
Writer's Block isn't a disease, condition, disorder or anything like that. It is merely a temporary state of mind; one that may last days, weeks, months or longer. Regardless of how long it endures, keep in mind that you still have control over your drive, ambition, passion, intellect, and overall timing of your creativity. That creativity is a God given talent that belongs solely to you; and nothing can take that from you without your consent. So tap those pens against the table if you need to(Be careful, though. Some of them explode after doing that for awhile.). Palm your forehead. Close your eyes. Listen to some music. Enjoy a drink or a snack. Hey, even take a walk if necessary. Just do your environment one huge favor, though:
Go easy on the pencil chewing, huh? We can certainly agree that they've suffered enough.
Getting rid of writer's block isn't necessarily always a matter of confrontation, though. There may be other ways to subvert something so frustrating. Some of us find that we have to be in a certain setting in order to successfully write. For some writers, solitude serves as their largest deterrent if that makes any sense. The desired setting may call for mild to frantic activity to surround that person. I've not met many people who will claim this as their preference, however. Some writers just want some music while they are writing; be it on a radio or in their headphones. I can definitely say that I enjoy listening to music in my ear buds while writing; but there is a lot more to it than just having earphones on for me. I have detailed preferences.
Music lends us the opportunity to counter writer's block from a number of different angles; like a misdirection strategy of sorts. While writer's block serves mainly to stall us in our writing; incurring aggravation and other means of distraction, music in many ways soothes the troubled mind and spirit(really Zen, huh?) in a manner that calms the writer; allowing him/her to find peace with oneself so that productivity can eventually commence once more. It should be noted, however that this calming sensation is not hinged upon what type of music the person is listening to.
Seriously. You don't have to listen to only Classical, Neo-Soul, R&B, or any soothing music in order to find your relaxation to avoid writer's block. I know some people who listen to rock music to get their desired degree of relaxation. I know others that listen to Hip-Hop; which is highly understandable given the lyricism. Peak lyricism gets the creative juices flowing consciously and some songs may even serve as a means of supplemental inspiration(a Muse, if you will.). Hell, I even know of one or two people that can only write when listening to Young Jeezy.
Don't ask me how that works out...
I can say that as a Poet, there are varying instances that must take place for me to write; especially if I am looking to rid myself of writer's block. There are some times when I find that I have to take my time and really think before keying in on my writing; which leaves me wanting to be closed off, in a matter of speaking. I must have total silence aside from an air conditioner unit blowing, of course. More often, however, I have become more accustomed to writing while listening to music. I'm able to spark some creativity contingent upon what I'm listening to at the time that may break me out of my stint of writer's block. I also find that I'm able to soothe myself with the melody and rhythm of the music or even the lyrical content therein; which in turn helps me better deal with writer's block and even offers me the elusive muse that I have been looking for given any certain amount of time. Music is one very potent accompaniment for literature as it stands; but there are times where it may serve best as a therapeutic means rather than just as a means of inspiration.
One thing to understand about writer's block is that you should never give into it. It should also be understood that choosing not to write at the time until you can figure things out is in no way to be perceived as giving into writer's block. I think this would illustrate what I mean:
This poor fellow here is engaging in an extremely counterproductive response to his writer's block. Not only does he miss the opportunity to go around his issue so that he can get back to his productivity; but he also chooses to give in to both writer's block and the frustration that it incites.
Banging your head against a wall, being short tempered and ridiculously scathing, or just being an overall hard person for anyone to find a plausible reason to be around won't make your situation better; whether you are dealing with writer's block or anything else in life. Giving in to writer's block involves feeding in to that frustration and aggravation; which only helps further the manifest of writer's block: distracting you from your manifest of writing.
Ever been around that family member that complains more about the chores that need to be done instead of actually doing them? How about that coworker that complains about their job so much that it causes a lapse in productivity across the board?
Gotten used to the rhetorical questions in my entries yet?
My point here is that nothing productive comes from succumbing to the anger that we can and most times will find ourselves privy to when it comes to writer's block. The first step to solving a problem involves acknowledging that it is a problem; but there is a large difference between acknowledging something and dwelling on it. Time is wasted and nothing is solved from dwelling on an issue. The issue will be as ever present as it was before we first noticed it and it will continue to be there if no further action is taken. Avoid the distractions, remain calm and focus on a productive solution to your problem. After all...
"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment." - Hilaire Belloc
Couldn't have stated it better. We often bring on our own distractions in our wandering. Not saying that this is always a bad thing, of course; but there are times where one's desired focus is compromised.
There are some that believe that the best way to rid oneself of writer's block is to just randomly write whatever comes to mind; even if it doesn't make sense or has absolutely no continuity to it. The general idea here is that one will eventually get to the point where he/she is either struck with inspiration or they will develop ideas based on what they wrote down that may forge some semblance of inspiration later on.
I can't say outright that I don't believe that this method is effective; but I do think that it harbors the potential to lead to what I consider to be a very distasteful habit later on. In my opinion, forcing your way through anything robs it of authenticity; especially when literature is involved. Forced work lacks the time, patience, care, love and dedication that is usually ever present in a complete piece of work; and it definitely shows itself as such when presented or observed.
Think about those sandwiches from your favorite fast food establishments that always look awesome on television commercials but never look even 1/4 as great when you purchase it.
Same concept, pretty much; especially for those writers that have garnered a measure of tenure among their contemporaries. Well known writers have a reputation to laud; so it would be surprising and disappointing for them to forcefully release material just to fit within the confines of a deadline or because they are frustrated over not writing as frequently as they would like to be writing.
If anybody knows anything about that, I surely do. It used to vex me to no end when I would go a certain amount of time without writing. what was only maybe a week or two felt like months to me(my wife reminds me of this constantly.) and I would find myself fighting the urge to just jot something down and put it out there just to say that I've written something. If you learn nothing else about me, you'll learn that I love my literature. I especially love my Poetry. I love it so much that I wouldn't dare disrespect it in that manner; and if you love what it is that you do, then you would make sure that you never disrespect it in that said manner either.
I've spoken with friends and contemporaries of mine regarding their perceived solutions to writer's block and they've even stated that their use of certain vices such as smoking or libation place them in a certain effect or "zone" for their creative thought processes. Now I'm not one to doubt their methods completely. I'm not and never will be a smoker; but I have written some rather awesome stanzas while enjoying a glass of whiskey every now and then.
As far as the effectiveness of these methods is concerned, I think that since writer's block already does enough to impair one's creative thought process, it may not prove beneficial to compromise it further.
This is just my opinion, of course. Feel free to engage in whichever method or series of steps you deem effective.
Writer's Block isn't a disease, condition, disorder or anything like that. It is merely a temporary state of mind; one that may last days, weeks, months or longer. Regardless of how long it endures, keep in mind that you still have control over your drive, ambition, passion, intellect, and overall timing of your creativity. That creativity is a God given talent that belongs solely to you; and nothing can take that from you without your consent. So tap those pens against the table if you need to(Be careful, though. Some of them explode after doing that for awhile.). Palm your forehead. Close your eyes. Listen to some music. Enjoy a drink or a snack. Hey, even take a walk if necessary. Just do your environment one huge favor, though:
Go easy on the pencil chewing, huh? We can certainly agree that they've suffered enough.
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