Writer’s Block: Is it real?

Is writer’s block a real phenomenon? Or is it a story you tell yourself when you aren’t writing?

In this episode, we’ll discuss our thoughts and experiences surrounding writer’s block, what others say, and provide you with some tips to keep the words flowing.

According the the New York Times article “How to Beat Writer’s Block,” by Maria Konnikova,

psychologists deem it a real phenomenon. The term was introduced in the 1940s by a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler who claims writers are blocked psychologically and need therapy to become unblocked. In the 1970s, two Yale professors Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios did a study that showed anxiety, depression, perfectionism, OCD, and self-doubt were the result of blocks to writing.

Not all blocked writers fit into these categories, however.

What are some characteristics of Writer’s Block?

feeling unmotivated
feeling uninspired
staring at a blank page
lack of ideas
writing below one’s standards

What are some tips to combat Writer’s Block?

determine the cause if you can
establish a writing routine and stick to it
word sprints
join the NaNoWriMo challenge
assess how you’ve prepared/outlined a work
- it may simply lack planning or be too rigid of a plan
write through the crap & come back to it later to make it shine
refrain from ending a writing session at the end of a scene or chapter
- instead, stop in the middle when you already know where the scene is headed
work with writing prompts to get the juices flowing
brainstorm with a writing group or critique partner
write in a different locale
work on a new project
journal
take a writing break (go for a walk, shop, meet a friend for coffee…)
work with a book coach