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It& #39;s very tough.
There& #39;s lots of different ways that you can try to get over your writer& #39;s block, and different ones are more effective at different times.
But for me, there& #39;s one thing that has helped more than everything else:
Stop thinking about it as writer& #39;s block. 1/ https://twitter.com/megsteffens/status/1247905211626201089">https://twitter.com/megsteffe...
There& #39;s lots of different ways that you can try to get over your writer& #39;s block, and different ones are more effective at different times.
But for me, there& #39;s one thing that has helped more than everything else:
Stop thinking about it as writer& #39;s block. 1/ https://twitter.com/megsteffens/status/1247905211626201089">https://twitter.com/megsteffe...
"Writer& #39;s block" is one of the most prevalent BIG, MYTHIC IDEAS about writing and writers.
And, like most BIG, MYTHIC IDEAS about anything, I think that it& #39;s done a lot of harm, and really hampered a lot of people& #39;s writing and creative processes in general. 2/
And, like most BIG, MYTHIC IDEAS about anything, I think that it& #39;s done a lot of harm, and really hampered a lot of people& #39;s writing and creative processes in general. 2/
Because, well, when you are presented with this idea of "I can& #39;t write because I have WRITER& #39;S BLOCK," it can feel a little bit like you& #39;ve just been hurled into the Twilight Zone.
It& #39;s big, and scary, and out there.
And kind of beyond your ability to do anything about it. 3/
It& #39;s big, and scary, and out there.
And kind of beyond your ability to do anything about it. 3/
And when you& #39;re feeling like that...
...like you& #39;re caught in this big, scary thing that& #39;s bigger than you, that& #39;s brought down so many amazing writers...
...it& #39;s hard to figure out the way out of it.
It& #39;s tough to remember how to swim when you& #39;re thinking the entire ocean. 4/
...like you& #39;re caught in this big, scary thing that& #39;s bigger than you, that& #39;s brought down so many amazing writers...
...it& #39;s hard to figure out the way out of it.
It& #39;s tough to remember how to swim when you& #39;re thinking the entire ocean. 4/
So a few years I removed the phrase, "I have writer& #39;s block," from my vocabulary.
Instead of that, I go, "I& #39;m having trouble writing today," or, "I& #39;m having trouble writing this story."
And it& #39;s honestly been enormously helpful. 5/
Instead of that, I go, "I& #39;m having trouble writing today," or, "I& #39;m having trouble writing this story."
And it& #39;s honestly been enormously helpful. 5/
Because both of those lead to two much more manageable questions:
"Why am I not in a place where I can do this today?"
and
"What is it about this story that isn& #39;t clicking for me?"
Both of which are way less scary than
"Why have the Gods of creativity forsaken me!?!?" 6/
"Why am I not in a place where I can do this today?"
and
"What is it about this story that isn& #39;t clicking for me?"
Both of which are way less scary than
"Why have the Gods of creativity forsaken me!?!?" 6/
And by the way, credit where credit is due:
A lot of these ideas were articulated and crystalized for me by author Patrick Rothfuss in a Q&A he did a couple of years ago where he talks about this precise thing.
Some really helpful advice from Pat: 7/ https://www.newsweek.com/kingkiller-chronicle-patrick-rothfuss-interview-podcast-writers-block-963165">https://www.newsweek.com/kingkille...
A lot of these ideas were articulated and crystalized for me by author Patrick Rothfuss in a Q&A he did a couple of years ago where he talks about this precise thing.
Some really helpful advice from Pat: 7/ https://www.newsweek.com/kingkiller-chronicle-patrick-rothfuss-interview-podcast-writers-block-963165">https://www.newsweek.com/kingkille...
But the TL;DR on his thoughts are this:
If you& #39;re, say, a carpenter, there are things that will physically, mentally, or emotionally keep you from doing work.
You could hurt your hand.
You could lose your tools.
You could be going through a divorce.
8/
If you& #39;re, say, a carpenter, there are things that will physically, mentally, or emotionally keep you from doing work.
You could hurt your hand.
You could lose your tools.
You could be going through a divorce.
8/
And if you have to take a day from your carpenter work for any of those, people aren& #39;t going to say, "Oh, man, you& #39;ve really got a case of CARPENTER& #39;S BLOCK, there, haven& #39;t you? How& #39;re you gonna get your muse back?"
No.
Because that would be
You know
Really fucking weird.
9/
No.
Because that would be
You know
Really fucking weird.
9/
Writers have their own set of things that keep us from doing work. From being able to operate at the level that need to in order to write.
Most of them have to do with our heads.
And calling it Writer& #39;s Block kind of keeps us from giving those things their due. 10/
Most of them have to do with our heads.
And calling it Writer& #39;s Block kind of keeps us from giving those things their due. 10/
Quoting Rothfuss directly:
"If we keep going & #39;Oh you& #39;re a magical unicorn and you have a magical unicorn disease called writer& #39;s block& #39; it keeps people from correctly identifying what might really be going in their lives, (...) that& #39;s affecting their ability to produce art." 11/
"If we keep going & #39;Oh you& #39;re a magical unicorn and you have a magical unicorn disease called writer& #39;s block& #39; it keeps people from correctly identifying what might really be going in their lives, (...) that& #39;s affecting their ability to produce art." 11/
But okay:
Even if there isn& #39;t anything going wrong that& #39;s stopping you from writing, some days it just doesn& #39;t seem to be happening.
No matter what you do.
The story isn& #39;t coming together.
What& #39;s up with that?
Here& #39;s how I think about that:
12/
Even if there isn& #39;t anything going wrong that& #39;s stopping you from writing, some days it just doesn& #39;t seem to be happening.
No matter what you do.
The story isn& #39;t coming together.
What& #39;s up with that?
Here& #39;s how I think about that:
12/
If you were a theoretical mathematician trying to figure out a new, complicated proof, you might spend a whole day staring a blackboard full of math.
Just trying to figure it out.
Maybe you change a 5 to 4.
Then two hours later, you change it back.
And that& #39;s your day.
13/
Just trying to figure it out.
Maybe you change a 5 to 4.
Then two hours later, you change it back.
And that& #39;s your day.
13/
Nobody would be like, "Ah, poor Professor Llewellyn, PhD, he& #39;s got Mathematician& #39;s Block!"
Because we understand that finding new mathematical proofs is HARD.
It takes a lot of thinking.
It takes trial and error.
It can go very, very slow.
That& #39;s just the way it goes.
14/
Because we understand that finding new mathematical proofs is HARD.
It takes a lot of thinking.
It takes trial and error.
It can go very, very slow.
That& #39;s just the way it goes.
14/
And coming up with a story? With compelling characters? With a plot that hums along? With a structure that serves its components? With a resonant spark of truth at its core?
That shit& #39;s hard.
It takes a lot of thinking.
It takes trial & error.
It can go very, very slow.
15/
That shit& #39;s hard.
It takes a lot of thinking.
It takes trial & error.
It can go very, very slow.
15/
So I really recommend that small adjustment the next time you spend an entire afternoon staring at a blank piece of paper. (Which I did just yesterday!)
You don& #39;t have Writer& #39;s Block.
You& #39;re at the blackboard.
You& #39;re doing the math.
And that can take its sweet time.
16/
You don& #39;t have Writer& #39;s Block.
You& #39;re at the blackboard.
You& #39;re doing the math.
And that can take its sweet time.
16/
And some days? Some days it& #39;s just not going to happen.
Sometimes your head isn& #39;t in a place where it can do math.
Sometimes you lose the blackboard.
Sometimes there& #39;s something wrong with what you& #39;re trying to do,& it& #39;ll never work.
That& #39;s OK.
Say it with me: that& #39;s all OK.
Sometimes your head isn& #39;t in a place where it can do math.
Sometimes you lose the blackboard.
Sometimes there& #39;s something wrong with what you& #39;re trying to do,& it& #39;ll never work.
That& #39;s OK.
Say it with me: that& #39;s all OK.
You take care of yourself.
You go back to the things that made you want to do this in the first place.
You give yourself space, and time.
And when you& #39;re ready
You go back to the blackboard.
And you keep at it.
/End
You go back to the things that made you want to do this in the first place.
You give yourself space, and time.
And when you& #39;re ready
You go back to the blackboard.
And you keep at it.
/End
Aaaaand now that I& #39;ve taken up so much of your time with this overlong spiel, I highly recommend checking out @SarahRheaWerner& #39;s advice on this matter. It& #39;s incredibly open, helpful, and really comforted me after a bad writing day yesterday. 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đ" title="Loudly crying face" aria-label="Emoji: Loudly crying face"> https://twitter.com/girlinspacepod/status/1247907299882139648?s=20">https://twitter.com/girlinspa...
