Lana Krumwiede
This is probably the top-ranking FAQ I get at school visits. I never thought much about writer’s block until people started asking me about it. That’s not to say that I never experience it, only that I never really analyzed it before. I’ve heard some writers say there’s no such thing as writer’s block—there’s only writing and not writing. Sounds like something Yoda would say.
Luke: "Master, how do I overcome writer's block?"
Yoda: "Write. Or write not. There is no writer's block."
I’m not foolish enough to argue with Yoda, but the fact that so many people ask about and struggle with writer’s block makes me think there must be something going on. My theory is that writer’s block is not really a block but more like a feedback loop, a message from my subconscious brain to my conscious brain regarding unmet needs. The trick is to find out what my brain is trying to say and then doing something to break the negative loop. Here are the most common messages I get from my brain when I’m struggling to write, along with responses that work for me:
Brain: “This story is not on track. Something is not right.”
Me: “All right then, let’s go back and figure out what went wrong.”
(Alternate response: “Fahgettaboudit! Keep writing.”)
If I’m struggling to write, it could be due to some vague sense that I’ve driven the story into the weeds, or that I’m about to. The reason I’m finding it hard to move forward is that some part of me knows I’m headed in the wrong direction. In that case, I need to spend some time rereading what I’ve written to pinpoint what is making the ground underneath me feel so crumbly. If I can’t figure it out on my own, this might be a time to get feedback from my writing buddies. Over the years, I’ve honed my sense of direction—or in this case, my sense of misdirection—to the point that I can usually determine the nature of the error. If the thing that is off is a big thing (voice or setting, for example), correcting the trajectory now will save time and frustration later. However, if it’s a small thing that’s off, I might be better off having a chat with my brain to reassure myself that it’s all right to keep writing for now. I’ll go back and fix the small stuff later.
My Brain: “We need a break.”
(Please read the entire post on my website: http://www.lanakrumwiede.com/2015/01/...)
Luke: "Master, how do I overcome writer's block?"
Yoda: "Write. Or write not. There is no writer's block."
I’m not foolish enough to argue with Yoda, but the fact that so many people ask about and struggle with writer’s block makes me think there must be something going on. My theory is that writer’s block is not really a block but more like a feedback loop, a message from my subconscious brain to my conscious brain regarding unmet needs. The trick is to find out what my brain is trying to say and then doing something to break the negative loop. Here are the most common messages I get from my brain when I’m struggling to write, along with responses that work for me:
Brain: “This story is not on track. Something is not right.”
Me: “All right then, let’s go back and figure out what went wrong.”
(Alternate response: “Fahgettaboudit! Keep writing.”)
If I’m struggling to write, it could be due to some vague sense that I’ve driven the story into the weeds, or that I’m about to. The reason I’m finding it hard to move forward is that some part of me knows I’m headed in the wrong direction. In that case, I need to spend some time rereading what I’ve written to pinpoint what is making the ground underneath me feel so crumbly. If I can’t figure it out on my own, this might be a time to get feedback from my writing buddies. Over the years, I’ve honed my sense of direction—or in this case, my sense of misdirection—to the point that I can usually determine the nature of the error. If the thing that is off is a big thing (voice or setting, for example), correcting the trajectory now will save time and frustration later. However, if it’s a small thing that’s off, I might be better off having a chat with my brain to reassure myself that it’s all right to keep writing for now. I’ll go back and fix the small stuff later.
My Brain: “We need a break.”
(Please read the entire post on my website: http://www.lanakrumwiede.com/2015/01/...)
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