by Elaina Lyons
Sometimes I have so many ideas, and yet so few ways to get them out. In those moments of writer’s block, it feels like I have mental congestion — like the flow of cognitive traffic gets so stalled in there it just kind of, well, stops.
There are very few feelings worse for an author than writer’s block. Staring at the blank page is like eyeing down the enemy. In my case, I usually know what I want to say, I just struggle with how I want to say it.
Words are so important. Their order and usage are so important. It’s not enough to just throw some ideas on a page and call it a day. Every choice is intentional. Every choice makes the story come together, or contributes to it falling apart.
I try not to force it, but I only have so much time to write per week, and when those hours are taken up by mental blocks, I get frustrated quickly. I question myself and my ability to get the story out. I question the story itself. If it was good enough, I think, it should just write itself. It should just flow through me and onto the paper and come out perfectly. It should be effortless.
And sometimes it is! Sometimes it is effortless. There are times I sit down to write and I can feel the inspiration coursing through my veins. I feel like this is what I was born to do. And then there are those writer’s block days. And I feel like there’s no amount of energy that can force the ideas out properly.
So I take a break. I drink a lot of coffee. I come back to it later.
I’ve never written anything of merit by forcing it. Everything good I have ever produced has been the product of relaxing my mind and letting the words flow. Ease, for me, is the name of the game. If I have to struggle to say it, it won’t come out right.
I’ve never written anything of merit by forcing it. Everything good I have ever produced has been the product of relaxing my mind and letting the words flow.
Some people don’t operate that way. Some writers work at their best when they have to force themselves to get something on the page. It’s just a difference in how our brains work.
Regardless of how your mind operates, remember that writer’s block happens to all of us. Creativity isn’t an endless tap, capable of being turned off and on at will. It has to be nurtured, cared for and appreciated. So be kind to yourself and kind to your overworked brain. Sometimes, even our minds need a little time to reset.
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*Professional photography by Empire Photography.
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