Write.

Writer's Block

To some, this will be a slightly controversial chapter, but the topic of writer's block is one I feel very strongly about and it deserves to be discussed and then put straight to bed without supper.

I'm going to say straight off the bat that I do not believe in writer's block. This is a bold statement, yes, but the truth of it is little more complex.

I am not saying I believe writers do not struggle with writing, because the truth is the exact opposite — that the process of writing is a long and perpetual struggle. There are very few writers in the world who can take a seat, crack their knuckles and beginning typing or scrawling in a notebook without pausing to sit back and ask where their story is going. Writing is difficult, tedious and tiring.

So just what is writer's block?

I think to most, it is simply a period of time in which a writer becomes stuck or uninspired and unable to continue. The reason I disagree with this is that, if writing was easy, everybody would be doing it, when the truth is that very few people can. There are many more unfinished books in the world than there are finished ones, simply because people reach a point where they get stuck or fed up with what they're writing and throw in the towel.

These people are not writers.

Writers power through moments of doubt and fatigue because, ultimately, they want to finish it that little bit more. Writer's block is writing. I should probably underline that in bold capitals, for this is the crux of what I'm saying.

WRITER'S BLOCK IS WRITING.

Getting through the tough times is how writers earn their money. That's where the work is. True, some writers struggle more than others, but the extent of that struggle can be diminished with time and practice. In my experience, writing has gotten easier over the years the more time I've spent doing it, and likewise, the quality of my writing has improved.

When someone says, 'I have writer's block,' what they're really saying is, 'I'm not sure how to push through to the next bit of the story.' Maybe they've written themselves into a corner where they've put their main character in an impossible situation, or maybe the story is nearing the end and they're unsure how to tie everything together.

Whatever the problem is, there is always a solution, even if it means going back and cutting a subplot or character out of the story. This is the job of a writer — to problem solve. You're not just putting a 1,000 piece jigsaw together; you're doing it with 10,000 pieces and no picture on the box. There will be trial and error. There will be lots of time spent which will seemingly be for nothing, but that time must be spent.

Problems like these are actually great exercises to flex your writing muscles, and it's only through navigating these waters that you will be able to evolve as a writer.

The idea that writer's block is some kind of tentacled monster that sometimes rears its head from these waters to make your life difficult is not only untrue, it is actually quite damaging. As a young writer starting from scratch, I fully believed that writer's block was a real thing, so when times got difficult, I quickly admitted defeat and said, 'Got writer's block - hopefully it'll be gone tomorrow.' It was only when I realised that all writers struggle, sometimes every day, that I began to question the meaning of the term, "Writer's block." And here's what I realised:

The monster is always there.

Some days it is far off and unaware of your presence, other days it is battling you to the death. It draws strength from your desire to close the book and try again later, but it bleeds every time you write a sentence. It doesn't even have to be a good sentence; it just has to carry the story that little bit further. You can always rewrite it later.

Inspiration lies in the waters beyond the beast. Go and explore.