Why We Get Writer's Block and And How To Overcome It

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You know the feeling of getting stuck, don't you? You set out to write something: Maybe an email, maybe an article. And you sit there at the computer completely disgusted. Because no matter how much you try, and whatever you write, the words just don't seem to flow.

So why don't the words flow?
To understand what causes a block, you have to understand what's happening in your brain.

Let's start with what the brain does best.

The brain recognises problems. And overcomes them.

So if I were to put a chair in your way, your brain would know exactly what to do. It would either remove the chair, so you could move forward--or it would go around the chair.

And no matter how many types of chairs it sees in future, your brain will know exactly what it needs to do to overcome the problem.

But what if there were no chair?

What if there were an eight-hundred pound gorilla sitting in the way, instead?
Suddenly your brain doesn't know what to do.
So it panics. You either run. Or you freeze in your tracks. In effect, the brain retreats or shuts down.

This shut down mode, is 'Writer's Block.'

And the block goes beyond writers. It affects composers; artists; actors; sports stars. And of course, you and I. To avoid this shut-down, we have fire-drills.

Yes, you read right--fire-drills...
The reason why you had a fire-drill in school or at an office, isn't because the organisation likes making you run out of the building, and onto the street.

The biggest reason for fire-drills is to know what to do in an emergency. Because contrary to what you may believe, people don't actually panic in an emergency. They sit there, transfixed, as if in a bad dream.

And when you have an emergency: When you have to write a report, or a presentation, or an article, your brain panics. It freezes.

Suddenly it has an 800-pound assignment in the way.
And it has no memory of any fire-drill.

The brain goes into panic mode. It scans memory bank after memory bank for a memory of success.

On the contrary, it finds failure after failure
Writer's block after Writer's block. And so the failure perpetuates itself--and you run into yet another writer's block.

Then of course, you believe that you have no ability to write

That others were born to write. And that you're just not a writer.

You believe that others are more talented than you.

But do you understand what the so-called 'talented' people are doing?
They have a memory of success. And it's not random success. It's the success that's a direct result of having:
1) Structure
2) A mentor
3) Memory banks filled with success.

You see, when they were learning a skill, these um, 'talented' people had a mentor; a teacher; someone looking over their shoulder. Someone who not only takes them through the fire-drill, but helps them if they make the wrong move.

And this gives the 'talented' person, a memory of success. The more the success-drill is repeated, the more it get ingrained.

And then a real fire breaks out...
You have to write a page for your website.
You have to write an article.
You have to write a 10-page report.

And if you've been through the drill, you not only have access to the mentor, but you also have the structure, and the success-drill deeply ingrained.

This 'success-drill' memory becomes the dominant memory
This success-drill memory is why you learned to walk.
Why you learned to talk. Why you learned to balance on a bike.

You definitely needed:
1) Structure
2) A mentor
3) Memory banks filled with success.

So yes, if you're sick and tired of running into Writer's Blocks. If you want to learn to write just like I have, then please stop believing in this nonsense called 'talent'.

Trust me to show you how you too can write--and become the expert in your field. The expert that writes not just great newsletters and articles, but is able to write books or just about anything.

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There are (5) Comments

Posted By: Ben Dawe Date: September 12, 2009

Good article. Brain blockers are really just imposters to me. The key to the keyboard is to keep the fingers moving when the brain stops. No brain in the world will allow the fingers to lead it, and soon takes over again.

Posted By: Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach Date: November 6, 2009

Sometimes blocks can be a good thing. My book, Pug At The Beach, An island dog's reflections on life and company came as a direct result of writer's block. When I needed a writing exercise to pare down my writing, I created one. Pug At The Beach is a compilation of short "adventures." Each contains an illustration and 100 words of text. One thing led to another and a new life was created. Check us out at: http://www.pugatthebeach.com/store.htm or http://007Pug.com

Diana Taylor
Top Dog
Pug At The Beach
Pug At The Beach ~ Where mindful living meets artful play through the adventures of an island dog philosopher named Pug. He’s part Dalai Lama, part Jimmy Buffett, and a whole lotta fun!
http://www.pugatthebeach.com

Posted By: Bridget Date: January 25, 2010

Saw an article on this via Twitter. It recommends three steps: Structure, mentor, and memory blanks filled with success.
My question: Should the mentor be a writer themselves, someone already IN the field? Or does it not matter?
THANKS KINDLY!!!
-Bridget

Posted By: Tcat Houser Date: January 25, 2010

As a writer (over 3 dozen books, tons of other stuff over 40 years)
I do believe the 'mentor' can be in ANY field...
The trick is to trust your friend/mentor/assistance/etc.)

Often we do have our answers... we just need help in plowing the field
to find what we need.

This is where someone you trust is the key Because:
1. you listen better to someone you trust.
2. they are not in your shoes (so they can see the forest for the trees).

A person IN the field of writing can help with specific issues such as:

Agents
Contracts
Assignments

With things like that, certainly within 'the game'.

Writer's block.... Anyone you Really Trust.
And yes. I gotta mean trust or you won't listen.
(funny enough, it can be total strangers, like me)
Because it takes seconds to help the planet in some small way,
and I have no vested interest if you actually listen.

HTH Tcat

Posted By: e.lee Date: February 13, 2010

A tutor once told me that if you are stuck than you have not started your story in the right place

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