Sometimes I humor myself with the fantasy that writer's block doesn't exist. I blame it on my own laziness or faulty time management. Often times, my favorite reason floats to the top, being that the right words have yet to come.
Each can be as well-decorated as they want to be, but the bottom line is that the demon at hand is writer's block. No writer is immune to the horrors. Whether it's for the essay you're dreading or the story that you've been progressing with until you hit the conclusion, when writer's block strikes, even the best writer's stop dead in their tracks.
The good news is, you can beat it. After all, your favorite author couldn't be human if they never experienced writer's block.
Think of your favorite book: Can you imagine how many rough drafts came before the final product, or how many agents read the entire manuscript before the right one said, “yes”? I believe the moral here is to not give up on the writing that is waiting patiently or impatiently to complete the commute from your brain to the page. When writer's block strikes, fight back. Here is advice from ten successful, inspiring authors.
1. May Angelou
Let your ideas run free no matter how insane
or obscene they may seem. That's what the editing process is for. Leave
no story untold.
2. Stephen King
King looks horror right in the face and
brings it alive. To become better, we have to face our fears and
keep writing, even when we don't know what's coming next.
3. Neil Gaiman
Keep your phone and all other distractions
away. First your checking one thing, and next thing you know, your train
of thought left has you at the station and you're looking at puppies in sailor outfits. It's not easy, and some distractions can be pleasant, but keep
putting one word after the other.
4. J.K. Rowling
If J.K. Rowling said 'yes' every time a
friend wanted to go out, or walked away whenever she got
stuck, "Harry Potter" may never have left the safety of her incredible brain. We have to
prioritize our writing the same way we do for the jobs that put food
on the table because nothing else will be as fulfilling.
5. Mark Twain
Take risks when writing to get words on the page, even when you don't know what the outcome will be. Even
if it doesn't work out to your liking, you'll learn from it and will have created a new route to follow.
6. Ernest Hemingway
If one of the best novelists of all time
says the first draft of everything-including what he'd written- "is
shit," this should take away a lot of the pressure. Sometimes we stress
endlessly on making our first draft our final draft, but you are more
likely to win the lottery.
7. Robert Frost
Jumping ship on a project and
starting a new one may seem like a good idea. When we get to the hard
parts of the story, we feel compelled to stop and run, but we must go
through it. It is guaranteed to be worth the extra mile.
8. Ray Bradbury
Sometimes you need to put your thoughts and
doubts to rest and allow your writing to take on a life of its own.
9. Gabriel Garcia Marquez
When we are seeking a muse, sometimes we need to take a step back, put the pen down, and just listen. There's no telling when or here inspiration will strike, so welcome it when it does. What's more, be sure to take advice from peers who's opinions you respect.
10. Toni Morrison
We all have a story to tell that no other
could possibly know. It's our duty to get the words on to the page.
