Sometimes writing can be pure pleasure, watching how a story unfolds and develops especially when the words flow onto the page in a seemingly effortless manner.
Unfortunately, all writers also have to experience the downside to being a creative person, when the words seem to dry up and tie your brain in knots…
I was feeling that way this morning. I wanted to write – actually I needed to write. But my brain just stopped in its tracks and refused to budge. This is what I call the frustration barrier when the words are there but they cannot get through. In the early days of my writing career, I thought it was just me who suffered from these creative mental blocks but as I progressed and got to know other writers, I realised that this is a natural (although annoying) part of the writing process.
Now that I teach creative writing at workshops or in college, I’m only too aware that other people feel that way too. There can be a number of reasons for it as well….a hard day at work, emotional problems, too much on your mind or it could be as simple as feeling lethargic due to a beautiful summers day. The difference between amateur and professional writers however, is that they know they have to work through it and whilst it’s not easy to continue writing when your head feels like it is full of cotton wool, it is possible.
For example, this morning I wanted to write an article but I couldn’t think of a unique angle and the more I sat and thought about it, the more the barriers came down. So instead, I choose to write this blog because it required a different type of creativity and because I have changed creative direction, the words started to flow again.
So if it happens to you – it’s not so much about breaking down the barriers perhaps but as finding a way to wriggle around them.
What’s Up! Just thought I’d chime in. I honestly liked this article. Keep up the phenomonal effort.
I have wanted to write since I was a kid but have never really put the effort in, I start to write stories allot but they always feel childish and badly written so I lose faith in them.