Is Writer’s Block Real?

There’s a huge debate in the writing world as to whether or not Writer’s Block is ‘real’. Some people will tell you it’s not. That you’re not really blocked and you need to ‘write your way through’.

Well, I’m not going to tell you that.

It’s horrible advice if you want a quality book.

Sitting down and forcing yourself to write is one of the worst ideas ever.

Because ‘blocks’ are just like ‘breakdowns’ only on a smaller scale.

They are warning you that something is wrong.

This something *could be something wrong with your book. The wrong narrator, the wrong outline, the wrong genre.

But they could also be something wrong with your life or health. If you’re stressed, if you’re sick, if you have other things going on, creativity reaches a point where it just runs out.

The good news is that it doesn’t mean it’s gone forever.

I have a novel coming out in late 2020, about a killer mermaid. I worked on this book (on and off in between working on other books) for YEARS.

It flat out didn’t work.

I must have rewritten that book at least a dozen times over the years. I even bought it special outlining software that was supposed to make it easier. It didn’t, it was a waste of money.

Then, one day, I realized I had the wrong narrator on the story. Once that change was made (and I rewrote it yet again,) the book finally made sense.

But by that time, I’d already published many other books and had become a better writer.

And THAT was the source of my ‘block’. I wasn’t ‘ready,’ to write that book. If I’d kept at it relentlessly, I might have never written any others.

Instead, I experimented with other writing styles, other books, other methods, until I found the ones that worked for me and that book.

So if you find yourself ‘blocked’ don’t force yourself to ‘power through’.

If it’s a true block, it’s because you’re not ready to write that book for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a skill thing, a confidence thing or a life thing.

Whatever the reason, forcing yourself relentlessly to write on that one project, is a guaranteed way to ensure you never write again.

The best way to break through that block is to write something else. Eventually, you’ll cycle back through that book again, and this time, you’ll be able to do it with confidence. A coach can help you do it faster.

So what writing thing has you blocked?