Writers Block: Never Experienced It

/ Carmen Suarez

I’ve never experienced writers block.blocks-bricks-brickwall-761142

I know –  I was talking to a friend yesterday and we had a whole conversation about writers block and she didn’t believe me AT ALL.

[Please continue reading the lightly transcribed post below or listen to the podcast here] 

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But the truth of the matter is, long, long ago I used to have the same experience as a dancer where I would keep making the same mistake over and over and over again.

And I had this amazing coach (and instructor) who would just tell me, “You know what? Enough. Just stop!  You need to just sit down!”  And so I would do that.  I would be forced to just sit down and do something else.

I would go take a walk around the track.  Or I would go sit on my knapsack – or whatever.  The point is that I learned early on that when you get stuck – when you get into a place where you can’t  do what you need to do as a dancer,  then you need to stop and do something else – because you’re just repeating the same mistake over and over again.

And I think in a lot of ways I’ve incorporated that into my life as a writer – and just in my life in general.

When something isn’t working, I stop doing it.  I try to do something else.  And then I come back to it.

I also think because I learned this at such a young age, I don’t see “writers block” as a negative thing.

I see it as a way in which my body tells me that I need a rest.  That I need a break.  Just like as a dancer,  I would keep making the same mistake over and over again – and then I’d realize that the reason why I was making a mistake over and over again was because I was tired.  I was exhausted.

Well when you write it’s not any different. We get exhausted. Our mind gets exhausted. We may not readily see that,  or experience it,  but the way in which I view that moment in time when I’m writing and I can’t really stop thinking about other things —  or I can’t seem to keep myself focused,  I see that as my body trying to tell me that I need a break.  And so, I’ll go listen to music, or I’ll go take a run, or I’ll just go watch television for a bit and then I’ll come back to it.

And sometimes it’ll be 5 minutes later and sometimes it might be a day later.  But what I don’t do is beat myself up for needing a break.  And I definitely don’t call it a “block” —  I don’t call it a “writer’s block” —  I just call it a time for me to take a break.

I think if we see that as a positive —  as resting period – as an ability to kind of rejuvenate –  it becomes a much quicker thing to notice Number 1,  and a much quicker thing to get through Number 2. Which means you can then get back to work!   Usually with fresher eyes and a rested soul.  And with much more enthusiasm to get back to your creativity — instead of beating yourself up for having “Writer’s Block”.

So, I just wanted to share that.  I would love to hear how other people deal with this writer’s block phenomenon….

Thank you so much for stopping by —  I appreciate it so much —  and I hope you have a sweet day.

I’ll be back again soon.

Carmen

14 thoughts on “Writers Block: Never Experienced It”

  1. Thank you for sharing that piece of advice! Always good to put a positive spin on things to get a different perspective. I’ve started reading an awesome book called The Artists Way in order to heal a few things in my life and it’s been an amazing tool to help me clear up my block. I discovered my passion for writing because of the book! Anyway, I’m not so much blocked as I am unsure of what to write about. Is that a block?? Haha

    Keep up the good work!

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    • The Artists Way is CLASSIC! I love that book. The follow up Vein of Gold is also worthy if and when you’re up for it. I think different things work for different people. I don’t call it writer’s block but just part of the process. I’d stop worrying about it at all and just put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and just let whatever comes out flow onto the page — and don’t criticize it at all. Maybe it’s gibberish, maybe it’s nothingness — maybe you type a bunch of “mmmmmm” across the page and that’s all you got. That’s OKAY! After an hour of creative “nothingness” give yourself a break and have dinner or watch a movie, read a book, talk to a friend, play with a kid — stay in the process of living. Don’t beat yourself up, don’t allow negativity to enter into your creative self. Understand that THIS is how your juices need to flow today and be okay with that. It’s just part of the journey. Tomorrow’s another day. And writers write — it’s what we do. And some times, we write nothingness…. but in those moments, in those raw possibilities, is when something else is coming to fruition. Trust that. You are NOT blocked. This is your process. I can’t wait to read what you write next! Sending you a big hug. 🙂

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      • Thanks for the encouragement! I’ve been writing my Morning Pages religiously. I’ve got quite a lot of writing ideas to work on. Just started writing on my blog again to try to build up a body of work. I don’t even know how to link it, that’s how new I am! Haha

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  2. Carmen, I’m all in favor of rereading and renaming anything that has Carmen (nice word!) into something bad,a problem. In my seventies, writer’s pause is a new experience for me, more puzzling than disturbing. And I think you’re right, it was necessary. Thanks.

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  3. I was prone to writer’s block when I started writing fictions. Then I read A LOT around, looking for advice, cure and whatever miracle can remove writer’s block completely and most of the advice I got, in summary, is that I have to be a planner. You know plot everything before writing anything. I followed that and it backfires. I couldn’t write anything at all when I started plotting because I wrote the plot so much it turned into a short story and I no longer feel like writing it longer.
    Your advice (which I’ve read elsewhere years ago) was the most effective one that worked for me. If you can’t move on then stop and do something else.

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  4. me too — don’t really know Writer’s Block sa an experience. the way I see it, life proceeds with its many observations and experiences, and when something congeals from that into an inspiration I write about it. Otherwise I just keep living, observing and reading too. All of these things are themselves part of writing, so there is no block.

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  5. Hi Carmen,
    I don’t know whether the very famous writers block exists or not. There have been many discussions over it. But for me, if I don’t know what to write, then I end up writing about what I don’t want to write, or why I don’t want to write, or better still how I am unable to write. I don’t know if at all this makes sense, but I do this, just to not let that ‘writer’s block’ overcome me.
    But yes, sometimes I am always very happy that there is a block, I mean a respite or shall I say break. I mean you need to break the monotony, I guess!
    So good to meet you 🙂

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