04. The Truth About Writer's Block: The Real Reasons Behind Your Struggle
Busting the Myth of Writer's Block: Practical Strategies for Writing Flow
Oh, writer's block.
The one thing that so many writers point to when they're not writing. The elusive and vague "writer's block" that gives creatives an out to put the pen down and commisserate.
In this episode of How Women Write, I'm busting the myth of writer's block.
In short — writer's block is bullshit.
Writer's block is actually a symptom of a deeper underlying issue — maybe more than one.
The feeling of not writing when you want to be writing can be frustrating. All you want is to put words on the page.
I've never had writer's block, and I don't believe you need to, either.
I've identified seven reasons that can lead to this frustrating feeling of being blocked:
Fear
Waiting to feel ready
Indecision
Lack of lived experience
Distractions
An unclear WHY
Not knowing what you think about something.
It's important to understand the root causes of these feelings, as they can really hinder our writing progress.
In this episode:
You'll hear about seven reasons why you might be blaming writer's block
You'll get several writing prompts to help get you writing about your lived experiences
You'll find journal prompts for stream of consciousness writing to help you uncover why you're writing and what's behind any fears
You'll get my practical advice on how to overcome any perceived blocks.
I'll invite you to remove the term "writer's block" from your vocabulary altogether and instead focus on simple practices to help you tap into the writing flow.
Links:
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Writer's Block
00:39 Debunking the Myth of Writer's Block
01:22 Common Excuses for Writer's Block
03:33 The Seven Reasons Behind Writer's Block
03:53 Reason 1: Fear
06:36 Reason 2: Waiting to Feel Ready
08:47 Reason 3: Indecisiveness and Expectations
12:59 Reason 4: Lack of Lived Experience
18:27 Reason 5: Distraction
20:02 Reason 6: Unclear Purpose
22:05 Reason 7: Unformed Thoughts
25:54 Practical Tips to Overcome Writer's Block
27:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
