“Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all.”
― Charles Bukowski
Writing this year has truly been a struggle. I have started paragraphs, gotten stumped, took a break, and then came back to it. And when I go to work on the novel, my mind goes empty. Like the quote stated above, I have still been writing, but for fun over at my blog. And even that has become more challenging as my days become busier. But most importantly, I still make the effort to get some writing done even though I still end up feeling guilty.
I have definitely consumed more books this year than I have written anything, and part of me thinks it’s time to go back to the drawing board. The concept for the second novel is pretty much complete and I have started writing it. I honestly thought I would be done by now, but I am a slow writer and a fast reader. I think it’s time to change my mindset about writing and just write freely without thinking too much (which is easier said than done).
When I read books and hear stories about writer’s block I reminded that I’m not alone in my feelings and start to look at at is as part of the artistic process. One of my favorite YA authors is Elise Bryant, and her series that I adore the most is Happily Ever Afters. The story follows Tessa, a budding writer who loves to create stories.
I felt that as a writer could relate to Tessa’s experience on many levels. I’ve faced many bouts of writer’s block and struggled to find the right words to craft stories (for creative writing and journalism works). Writing makes her feel alive but she’s also afraid to share her work with others for fear of rejection. I myself have definitely experienced the imposter syndrome where I thought my work was just not good enough and I learned that by making mistakes/critques (like Tessa does) that it will only make me a stronger writer in the long end.
Stories like these are important because I see myself within them, but also feel like a push of encouragement to keep on writing and to keep on my journey. Though I haven’t made as much progress as I would like, I’m still going to celebrate the small wins and keep pushing forward.
Have you ever struggled with writer’s block? How do you keep a writing flow when you feel stuck?
