Person on the Page

I am tired of the term writer’s block. 

Please don’t misunderstand.  I empathize with writers who are stuck, who can’t move forward with their writing, who struggle to get even a few words on the page.  I feel for writers who are lost or discouraged.

The problem I see with the term is that it has never been adequately defined or substantiated. It serves as a label for many conditions and situations. The DSM-5 does not recognize writer’s block as a psychological disorder, and no neurological cause has been pinpointed. No decisive set of symptoms has been identified. The term might refer to writing anxiety, or boredom with a writing task, or it might be offered as an excuse for being late with a writing assignment. 

In his book Writer’s Block: The Cognitive Dimension, Mike Rose proposes a definition of the term that upholds my point. He defines writer’s block as an inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than a lack of skill or commitment, including feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger, or confusion.As the definition suggests, the term encompasses a variety of problems that impede a writer’s progress.

In my own experience and from what I have observed in others, the potential impediments to a regular writing practice are many.  First, writing, like any form of communication, is difficult.  Getting words on a page that convey exactly what the writer intends is a long, slow process. We must have a hardened resolve to keep working toward achieving a clear, effective message.

Second, for many of us writing reaps little in the way of rewards.  Relatively few people who call themselves writers are able to make a living from what they write.  Consequently, they must focus much of their attention on work that does provide income, leaving a limited amount of time for their writing. In my experience and from my observations, writers often receive little support and encouragement from the people in their lives. Their loved ones do not understand the time, the focus, the privacy, and the dedication required to write. As a result, many of us must write amid distractions, steal time to write a few paragraphs, or forego writing completely in deferrence to those around us. 

In an interview with ACC Arts and Digital Media, Pulitzer Prize nominee Kim Barnes describes the obstacles she faced in her own writing practice.

While Barnes’ reference to Virginia Woolf’s insistence that one needs a room of one’s own in which to work is by now cliché, the circumstances she describes from her own writing life illustrate what I have observed.

Third, generally, no one rescues a writer. No one steps in to cheerlead, or to provide the space that Barnes describes, or even to commiserate. In many instances, writers flourish or fail entirely on their own. 

So, writers must rescue themselves. 

I have never claimed to suffer from writer’s block, but a few years ago I felt as if my writing efforts were futile. Like many others, I had for years attended to what I thought was more important than my writing to the point that I was accomplishing nothing.  However, I have always believed that I was born to write, and that belief never waned.  I determined to give my writing another chance.   

I decided to remind myself daily of these ideals.

• As a writer, I recognize that my work is valid and important.
• My writing deserves its own time, reserved for me with no interruptions, with nothing to supersede or interrupt.
• My writing might benefit others, and that is reason enough to write.
• My writing and my writing time are sacred to me.

So far, these reminders have sustained me through the disappointments and frustrations of committing to a writing practice.

I wish for all writers who feel blocked to remind themselves of their own value and the value of their work.

Push on.  Keep writing.