For many of us, writing has been a part of almost everything we do. Just like you, my time in school and work has been consumed with writing. I’ve been editing books for more than 15 years, but I’ve also written books, articles, marketing pieces, blog posts, essays, research papers, and the like for twice as long.
Along the way, I’ve had my share of encounters with writer’s block, and I’m sure you have too.
To put it plainly, writer’s block is a group of issues, concerns, or conditions that cause you to feel like you can’t write what you need to write when you need to write it. One of the issues I have with naming or identifying something is that sometimes we do little to remedy it. For me, it’s never OK to complain and then throw your hands up, especially if writing is your moneymaker.
In my book, Break Through Writer’s Block, I list 10 general causes of writer’s block — things like fear, perfectionism, boredom, and information overload. Here, I want to share a revelation of sorts that has come to the surface of my writing experience.
Write your way out
Sometimes it’s not so much that you are blocked, but that your spirit is wanting you to write something else and you won’t allow it. Many writers get into this place where we think we must write this or that. After all, we have a deadline, or we took all that time developing an outline. We must write on a rigid, unforgiving schedule or to a prescribed method that works well for someone else.
But sometimes something has come up in our soul that needs an outlet, and writing is the only answer. Sometimes this thing comes in and interrupts all your writing prescriptions and techniques. And sometimes you’re blocked because you need to give in and write that thing.
A journal and Evernote
This is why I have a journal with me all the time—as well as a shortcut to Evernote. I think of writing as a flow of words, ideas, and emotions, and sometimes they get stopped up. You can break the dam by freewriting in a journal and releasing whatever ideas are welling up in your soul.
What I’ve seen and experienced is that once you write that, you’ll be free to write what you’re supposed to write.
Good luck!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Jevon Bolden is a book editor, writer, literary agent, and CEO of Embolden Media Group, a boutique publishing consulting firm in sunny Florida. Her ebook, Break Through Writer’s Block, is available at jevonbolden.com/shop.
One Secret to Overcoming Writer’s Block was originally published in Tracking Changes (Winter 2019 edition). Members receive a PDF of the quarterly Tracking Changes newsletter by email.
