A Case of Writer's Block
No writer is immune, yet it may be more constructive than we think.
Ave Maris Stella!
I write this article because I had writer’s block while attempting my intended topic of choice, namely, fashion in the ancient empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. Sometimes writer’s block comes from a lack of inspiration; sometimes it comes from pushing yourself too hard for a deadline and becoming burnt out. I did this last week as I pushed myself to write double what I normally can in a week, as well as completing another deadlined project that normally takes me one to three weeks.
This also meant I didn’t choose a topic until Monday, and somehow, with too much excitement, picked a topic that meant I’d have to spend hours of research in order to be able to write more than three sentences. Not my smartest idea!
Writer’s block tends to feel like banging one’s head on a wall as though it’s going to give way, but generally speaking, with that method the most you get is a dent and a headache. I think there are a few types of block that we experience.
First, the typical one: a lack of inspiration.
Second, burn-out.
Third, one I only found last week: the one God uses to write a scene exactly the way you weren’t trying to.
Regarding lack of inspiration, I’d like to share some tips that I’ve found helpful.
If possible, try switching locations. If you’re inside and the weather is nice, try sitting outside and soaking up whatever there is of nature, be it wind, birds, or a cloudy day. Fresh air and the peacefulness of the outside, rather than any of the noisy appliances and music that might be inside, can help immensely!
Walking is always good. I like to walk around the backyard in circles while thinking. Sometimes the combination of fitting music and walking, especially walking in a way one of your characters might that may be out of character for you, can help you get into the difficult scene. Bonus points for dramatic music on a windy day!
Distraction is another source of aid if we’ve been hammering at a scene or plot point for too long.
Sometimes if a scene isn’t turning out the way it was in my head, I’ll write the scene three different ways and then take the most fitting sections from each and build them into a fourth. This way I don’t immediately erase the first version in my disappointment, so I have the ability to come back to it later and see whether I feel differently.
Someone else’s inspirations can also be helpful. Just as looking at a beautiful religious image can aid in prayer and meditation, particularly in struggles to focus, a good movie can provide the missing energy, or perhaps just that one word or element, or that heroic sword fight you hadn’t considered.
Back to music! I find music to be one of my best assistants. I create a separate playlist for each story, hunting down music that suits the overall sound of the plot. I also have playlists for certain moods, which I can fall back on. Oftentimes the music I’m listening to will suggest scenes I’d never imagined, or individual plot points, which is always an exciting discovery!
On burn-out, I think for many of us, myself included, it’s hard to give ourselves a break. Our fast-paced, high-expectations, goal-oriented and success-demanding modern culture simultaneously fill us with distractions and keep us from giving ourselves the rest we actually need.
While writing is an enjoyable pastime for me, it’s also work, so I push myself. Even when I feel like my brain has gone into hibernation, I don’t forgive it for being exhausted and try to force out the words. That usually results in something similar to the first type, where I can’t write, or not for very long.
The simple answer to this would be to rest, and to take a break from whatever we’ve been pushing ourselves to accomplish, whenever this is possible. If you have trouble telling yourself to take a break like I do, you can have a kind of accountability partner, and ask them to tell you to rest/eat/hydrate, whatever the case may be.
The third type I discovered this past week, while working on Part I of Wingswept: The Dragon and the Dove. Often I’ll write scenes in my head during chores or other activities, and by the time I go to write them, I’ve forgotten the lovely choice of words that existed in my head, that flowed and read so perfectly. It’s like pulling teeth, just as the other forms of writer’s block, and I didn’t like what I was writing.
Yet I had a thought as I was struggling, that maybe, God was using that block to write the scene in His own way, rather than mine. Every time I have a scene which I’m disappointed by and feeling frustration over the invisible dam seeming to hold back my vocabulary, I share the scene with someone else marked by my complaint. It’s always returned to me with a “I seriously love this, don’t change it” type of comment.
If you have a scene that stubbornly refuses to come out of your imagination the way you planned it, try sending it to someone whose opinion you trust, and see what happens. Write your scenes imbued with goodness, even if you’re frustrated over your words. It may be far better than you think.
Sometimes, the wall in our minds is as constructive as it is a construction. As St. Teresa of Calcutta would say, we are meant to be pencils in the hand of God.
I like walking, too! And music often helps. Lately I find listening to cello music consoling.
Hello! My name is Isaac Young, and I'm a fellow Catholic author. The Brothers Krynn highly recommended you, and I was wondering if you would do an interview. Couldn't find your DMs, but I would love to talk with you about Catholic fiction!