Whenever I do an event and talk about my writing process, I get a question about how I deal with writer’s block. And I never know what to say.
I tend to agree with Sarah Ruhl, who wrote in Poets & Writers magazine, “Writer’s block, I have always maintained, is not real. It is an invention. A self-inflicted wound. A chimera.” She goes on: “Another, more apt, phrase is something like the studious avoidance of writing. To call this writer’s block would be like avoiding exercise and calling it ‘exercise block.'”
Sarah Ruhl breaks down “writer’s block” into 13 categories:
1. The studious avoidance of writing (akin to the avoidance of exercising, as described above)
2. Waiting to write (because you don’t have the information you need, for example)
3. Walking away from the canvas (aka, taking a break)
4. Abandoning a piece of writing that is not meant to be written
5. Not wanting to write the thing someone else is telling you to write
6. Not writing something because a person you love will be angry with you or feelings will be hurt
7. Modern day distractions
8. Family life distractions
9. Starting a story in the wrong place (eg, the beginning was not really the beginning, the middle was not the middle, and the end was not the end)
10. Constant revising in pursuit of perfection
11. Worrying about what others think about your writing
12. Focusing too much on the outcome
13. General sloth
My “writer’s block” tends to fall into categories 2,7, and 8. I like to do quite a bit of research when I’m undertaking a writing project, which means I can’t start writing until I do a significant amount of reading on the topic at hand. Every day, I mourn the fact that I cannot read 7 books a day. I wish I could. It’s a lesson in patience for me to wait until certain pieces of the puzzle are in place before I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
I’d say the biggest threat to my writing is category 7, modern day distractions. So often, I’ll open a Word document to begin writing, then see an email come in. I read that, then see what else is unread in my inbox. Somehow, I end up buying diapers on Amazon and an hour is lost.
Speaking of diapers, category 8 is also very real for me, though I wouldn’t say “distractions” is the right word. I’m not distracted by my toddler or husband because I do not even attempt to write during family time. I love family time. I don’t care that it limits my writing time; I’ve just had to get very creative (and efficient) with the time I do dedicate to writing.
I will say that because my writing time is so limited, I rarely feel any “block” when I sit down to write. I’m usually so full up with ideas that I can’t wait to write. But I do remember back to when I was single and childless with a whole day in front of me and I’d feel so frustrated that I couldn’t write. I think too much time is not a good thing. For me, I get up in my head and fall into categories 9-12 of “writer’s block.”
What about you? What’s your experience of writer’s block?