
How to beat writers' block - mayhabib
http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/how-to-beat-writers-block
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visakanv
I've thought very long and hard (and written loads) about writer's block, and
have made a lot of personal progress in dealing with it. [I'm currently
550,000+ words into a "write a million words" project.] I'd be happy to chat
about it with anybody who struggles with it.

I like to think of writing (or any creative work, really) as a large-scale
process with many intermediate steps, like say, producing diamonds. You have
to start by locating the raw materials, drilling them out, getting a sense of
what they are, isolating them, cut them up, polish them, set them, present
them, sell them.

Block can happen at any point along the process. It could be that you don't
have enough raw material. It could be that you're not sure how to cut the
particular stone that you have. It could be that you've got the wrong tools
for the job, or that the job itself is not worth doing.

The challenge is to zoom out from the present moment and to see the bigger
picture, and often to move upstream in the process. Sometimes you need to
abandon the process altogether, and maybe return to it later.

The creative person's anxiety and paranoia can seem like a petty thing
compared to say, somebody who has to deal with "real" problems. (I'm reminded
of Anthony Bourdain saying "Cooking professionally is hard work. Writing is a
privilege and a luxury. Anybody who whines about writers block should be
forced to clean squid all day")

It's a fair point. That said, I think it's useful to try and understand what
exactly the block is. It's fear, anxiety, attachment to outcome, a sense of
incompetence and worthlessness.

Elizabeth Gilbert also has a great TED talk on dealing with that, about
separating your self-esteem from your work:
[https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?langua...](https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?language=en)

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mgalka
I have problems with writer's block, but my problem seems quite different from
what's described here.

Usually, I'm fine with the creative aspects -- I know what ideas I want to
communicate. What troubles me is finding the words to say it. And the more
time I spend thinking about it, the more difficult it becomes. Sometimes, I
can spend an hour working at a paragraph, and still can't get comfortable with
the wording.

Does anyone else have this problem?

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visakanv
Certainly! I experience this periodically, usually (perhaps always) when I'm
approaching new topics or ideas that I'm not familiar with.

I wouldn't say it's writer's block altogether, I think it's just the "stretch"
of trying to communicate something you haven't effectively communicated
before.

The analogy I would use here is– it's like a standup comedian trying out new
jokes. He knows that it's funny, but the audience isn't laughing– because
there's something about the delivery that he isn't getting right.

My advice for people struggling with these things is to do multiple drafts.
Try to write it down, then start over altogether from scratch. Explain it to
other people. After a while, you'll start "catching" the right turns of
phrases and sentence structure and so on.

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wcaleb
Yes, and I think lowering the "stakes" of the paragraph is important.
Sometimes switching to longhand on a legal pad helps me, because then I know
that I'm not working on the final, final version, and I can allow the
paragraph to be, temporarily at least, imperfect.

~~~
visakanv
> then I know that I'm not working on the final, final version, and I can
> allow the paragraph to be, temporarily at least, imperfect.

Absolutely. This is so important. The writing and editing process should be
decoupled– trying to do both at once typically leads to frustrating
contortions.

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mgalka
Really good suggestions. Thanks!

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wcaleb
Recently I learned a good trick for turning of your internal editor while
writing, which is one of the things discussed in the essay. Try turning the
screen of your laptop off so that you can't see what you are typing, and just
type away for a set period of time. This helps you "allow for error" and not
worry over every word or phrase you are putting down. I can usually get
hundreds of words out of this trick in just 20 minutes or so, after which you
can turn the screen back on and have something to edit, revise, and polish.

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Dowwie
TL;DR excerpts:

\- allowing for error—and realizing how nonlinear a process creativity can
be—was an essential step for overcoming blocks in writing

\- It’s useful to escape from external and internal judgment—by writing, for
instance, in a dream diary, which you know will never be read—even if it’s
only for a brief period... [your dream] serves as a reminder that, no matter
how blocked you may be, you still have the capacity to imagine something
new—no matter how small and silly it may seem

\- Such escapes allow writers to find comfort in the face of uncertainty; they
give writers’ minds the freedom to imagine, even if the things they imagine
seem ludicrous, unimportant, and unrelated to any writing project.

\- Creative people do a lot of trial and error and rarely know where they are
going exactly until they get there

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weeksie
Writers' block is a myth. Writing is work. Put your ass in a seat and get the
job done. Creativity is a vocation, not a bolt from heaven.

You want to beat a slump? Produce more work until it gets better. That's all.
Want to get fit? Eat right and exercise.

~~~
furyofantares
What informs this opinion?

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weeksie
Anecdata. A lifetime of "writing" followed by several years of actually
writing.

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twelvechairs
Im quite partial to Randy Newman's solution (loosely quoted) 'I just lower my
standards and plow on through'

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visakanv
Works really well. The key is to be committed to seeing the process and not
obsess pathologically about the outcome.

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kough
No mention of Eno's Oblique Strategies [0]? I've found them very useful for
prompting me to think in different ways, which often leads to something to
write about. I set up a little shell script, `strat`, which prints out a
randomly selected strategy. I've also started adding my own strategies and
tips and reminders to correct routine personal issues (e.g., shut the fuck up
and listen). I used to have them printed out every time my shell started up
but that led to me ignoring them; now I have to seek them out and often enjoy
the result.

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies)

~~~
kidmenot
Thank you for pointing this out, never heard of them before.

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dhimes
Something that works for me is to switch media. Start talking into a
microphone. It's fast and easy to work things out a few different ways, and
hearing it can help you find flaws that you might miss otherwise.

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malloreon
The author of this article is the very same Maria Konnikova who does the
weekly "Is That Bullshit?" segment on Slate's excellent daily podcast, "The
Gist with Mike Pesca."

Pesca manages to write ~15 minutes of extremely witty news-related material
every day, and I am constantly amazed at it.

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daveguy
One thing that has helped me in the past is writing shitty first drafts:

[https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%...](https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf)

Editors block is much less prevalent.

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JoeAltmaier
Emotional problems are best dealt with, in my experience, not by more
emotional exercises (imagery, counseling) but by new experiences, expecially
physical ones. Go on a week-long bicycle trip. Rock climb. Start running. Play
basketball. Anything to get you out of your mind and back into your body.

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BrainstormPro
[http://www.brainstormpro.com](http://www.brainstormpro.com) is also another
good resource when you need fresh words.

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ezequiel-garzon
Why was the apostrophe in the title moved? The title uses "writer's block",
not "writers' block".

Edit: Removed a suspicious apostrophe =).

