Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Finding inspiration is the perennial problem all writers have, especially when planning to write a book about short stories and poems. So, how do you rev up that old noggin and get to work?
Are you a writer? Let me know if this isn’t relatable. It’s a quiet afternoon, and you thought it would be a great day of excellent writing. You might have even told yourself you’d go beyond your daily goal and crank out a whole chapter or maybe two. One and a half would be good. But here you are, staring at a blank notebook or Word document. You might have written a few words but didn’t think they were worth anything, so you erased or deleted them. Your confidence is now hanging on by a thread.
The above must seem terribly familiar. Isn’t it?
Well, every writer has experienced it; that moment where nothing sticks in your mind and gets written down. That moment where you think you’ve nothing else to write about, that you should give up, and that anything else would be shameful, and, dear, you should stop with all this writing nonsense.
And when I say every writer has been there, I mean every writer, from the humble fanfiction aficionado to the amateur fabulist to the meticulous journalist to the more professional best-seller.
This dreadful thing is what we call “writer’s block.” It’s terrible to be afflicted by, whiling away the time when you could have been more productive. Still, it’s a normal thing to have.
Getting over writer’s block takes time, and not everyone has the same way of going about it. But it’s important to note that every writer can get writer’s block. It certainly helps me when I’m in a funk, sitting down and waiting for the words to come out as I try to finish my book about short stories and poems.
Some Causes for Writer’s Block; How the Dragon Grows
Writer’s block can occur from any number of things; it all depends on the person and their hang-ups. Many think writer’s block results from a lack of inspiration, but it’s more complicated than that. The absence of inspiration and motivation can lead to the absence of writing, but self-doubt is a more significant factor.
Self-doubt can lead to apathy, a diminished passion that can easily take root and swallow up whatever creative spark you have in you. This feeling usually comes from being kept back, restricted by the limits of whatever it is writing, be it a comic book, a short story, or a poem.
Self-doubt can also lead to anger—anger at the fact that what you wrote before has become meaningless or that it didn’t get the attention you thought it would. Anger is destructive if not channeled properly and can be a more long-term problem than writer’s block.
Self-doubt is also the root of anxiety. For us writers, we always have to walk the road of uncertainty. We always need clarification on whether we have what it takes and whether our writing even has an audience. We may be just stringing along a sequence of words with no recourse. What is good writing anyway? This question is something writers constantly ask themselves. And it is grating. When do we become good enough?
The worst thing about self-doubt is that you find fault in yourself and your writing and find it in others too. In our feelings of inadequacy, we try to find problems with others to feel better about ourselves, which is not an excellent way to improve ourselves. This distrust in others and yourself eventually leads to not wanting to write, which is sad.
The Solution to Writer’s Block; How to Defeat the Dragon
Although a lack of inspiration is not the only cause of writer’s block, it certainly is a solution! And sometimes, the best method for finding inspiration is through brute force! Not physically hitting someone, mind you, but metaphorically speaking, you must rush in and hope inspiration sticks. A good way is to start writing.
But if you’re writing, have writer’s block, and don’t have inspiration–should you stop just writing then?
NO!
Inspiration is not something that pops in every so often, like a good idea or a bout of flatulence. Inspiration, more often than not, is something you have to search for and discover in your waking moments. You have to let your mind be and follow any impulse that pushes you toward a direction.
Alex Writes 