Opening the Vein: Proving Writer’s Block Wrong

by Carissa Kettering

According to Tim Leach, writer’s block does not exist. It is simply an excuse to be used by writers who don’t want to write. He proposes that the true barriers to writing instead come from three sources: fear, exhaustion, and catastrophic writing errors. Whether or not traditional writer’s block exists, if you believe you have it, then you do. To believe you have writer’s block is to have writer’s block, whether by way of self-fulfilling prophecy or by curse from the Writing Gods. When you decide that you can no longer have writer’s block, though, how do you will it out of existence?

The simple answer is to just write, but when you’re feeling blocked, you tend to crave a more tangible solution that can give you an immediate sense of progress. There are many on how to fix writer’s block, but as someone who has found excuse after excuse to not write, these are the tips that helped me settle in and achieve my word count goals.

Freewrite.

Incorporating freewriting into your writing routine is a fantastic way to turn your inner editor off and let yourself create, no matter the result. The philosophy behind freewriting is that you can’t edit your work into a publishable product unless you have work to edit in the first place. As such, you should let yourself write with no restrictions—no concerns about spelling errors, no thoughts about word count, not the slightest shred of worry about reader response.

To start freewriting, latch onto a little seed of an idea, set a timer, and let your thoughts bloom into words. While it helps to freewrite based on a story idea or theme, if you’ve been in the throes of writer’s block for an extended period, give yourself the freedom to choose something as simple as a household object or something on your to-do list for the day. The result of your freewriting sessions doesn’t need to directly translate into finished products, but they should help remove the pressure of perfection from your writing routine.

Buckle in.

Maybe your writer’s block stems from a particular project or narrative problem, or maybe it’s from a fear of failure. Regardless, try planting yourself in one writing space and staying there until you have created something. You don’t have to land on the correct solution to your problem, but you need to try something.

Are you unsure how the characters in your scene should react to their situation? Write a reaction, and if it doesn’t feel right, try again tomorrow. Empower yourself by removing the label of “writer’s block” and proving it wrong. Embrace stubbornness and create something through sheer determination and brute force. You can craft your final draft through elegant consideration and careful editing, but let yourself stumble and claw your way into your first draft if that’s what it takes.

Even if you initially take a break to rest, to be successful, you must consistently take time to write and—you guessed it—actually write something. Make time in your routine to write and hold yourself to it. Showing up for yourself is half the battle.

Engage your senses.

Whether you’re writing a novel or a dissertation, you need to center yourself on something that inspires you. This could be as simple as opening a window or taking a deep breath, or taking half an hour to read an excerpt from one of your favorite works. As writers, we often romanticize inspiration as a sweeping stroke of biblical clarity. But if we wait for the day that God himself descends from the heavens to give us our next genius idea, we will never write. Instead, look for inspiration in small packages: a tiny nugget of beauty that makes you glad you are alive. Maybe your inspiration is related to your project, or maybe it isn’t—or maybe you discover a link you hadn’t thought of before.

An anonymous author told Penguin Random House, “Let [your writing] sit and ferment. Don’t even think about your story—your subconscious will be grinding away on it even while you’re occupied with something else.” When you pause to find inspiration in the small things, your subconscious may draw connections you have yet to see. At the very least, you can return to your work with fresh eyes and renewed energy, which are often key ingredients in writing yourself out of a block.

Whether you consider writer’s block as real or not, the key to overcoming a slump is to try. While we all wish writing was as easy as the famously misattributed quote portrays (“Writing is easy; you just open a vein and bleed” –Red Smith?), it is a task that requires consistent effort and concentrated determination. To show up and try is a battle of its own. So however you handle your creative slumps, trying is accomplishment enough.

Carissa Kettering is a senior at FSU double majoring in Music and Creative Writing. She serves as an editorial assistant for the poetry section of The Kudzu Review and finds every excuse to talk about her beautiful cat, Margot. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s usually obsessing over solitaire or sudoku.