Web Content—The Writer's Block

The silence is deafening. The ticking of the clock taunts you. The orange rays of the sun shine through the window. You rouse yourself from hypnosis, realizing you have been watching the cursor blink for hours. Although you typed in a couple of words earlier, you scrapped them all out before you can even end a sentence. You get up and walk to the window, wondering what the hell you were thinking of when you decided to become a writer. A cool breeze gently touches your face, consoling you. Just then, a pang of inspiration hits you. You rush to the computer and start typing away, the words taking hold of you.

"Fiction is the truth inside the lie."—Stephen King. Image source: WritingHappiness.com

Unless you possess the superhero ability to churn out and string words interminably and produce one bestseller after another, then you probably painstakingly type a million words before completing a sentence. This is a common scenario for most writers. It is the reason why the world gave birth to those two dreaded words: writer's block.

There are many reasons behind the writer's block. The most common are the lack of inspiration, ideas, and confidence. Overcoming these begins with understanding what causes them.

Inspiration. Sometimes you have loads of ideas, but you cannot find the right words to express them. Sometimes, you have no idea and--worse still--you are not in the mood to write. When this happens, take Chuck Close's famous advice:

Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.

 Do not waste your time playing hide-and-seek with Mr. Inspiration. Get constructive: drink a cup of coffee, grab a pen, and start writing. Jot down every word that comes to mind no matter how senseless they seem to be. Go on writing even if there is no apparent logic. The point is: you've started. Soon, the muddle of words will start coming together, forming themselves into a cohesive whole.

Ideas. Reasoning that there's nothing to write about is the biggest lie a writer can come up with. It is the worst alibi. There is a minefield of ideas out your window--all you need to do is tap into them.

Alright, so you think everything has been written. Birth, death, love, despair, suffering, happiness... fashion, travel, science... the big players who have all the connections write about these everyday.

Baloney. Quit your excuses. Start a blog. Start writing. Blogosphere continues to expand and most bloggers thrive on nothing but the sheer pleasure of writing.

Confidence. Ever read about what people fear the most? Anacondas? Cockroaches? Fear itself? No. Down through the ages, people have feared one thing the most: public speaking.

Take comfort in that. If you think about it, people ought to fear writing more than speaking before a crowd. The spoken word is transient; the written word is immortal. The latter can be passed on from one generation to the next--precisely the reason writing is an ordeal. People can go over your work and ponder on every thought-provoking lines or laugh at your blunders.

Many people fear writing. Even degree holders cringe at the thought of sending out emails and letters.The written word is so powerful. No one--not even the brightest scientist or most persuasive politician--is exempted from this truth.

The written word demands perfection. Do not allow expectations and fear of rejection to get the better of you. Do not get bogged down by your lack of confidence. If you think every word has to be perfect the moment you start writing, then you've already lost.

It takes a lot of courage to write. Just choosing to be a writer is a brave step. When fear steps in, start writing. Keep on writing. You crush your fears and overcome the writer's block with every word you write.