by Simon Wright

Created on: January 30, 2007   Last Updated: May 25, 2009

Saying that writer's block is only an illusion won't do much to help someone who's got into a writing rut. It is true that there are those who say that there is no such thing. I remember reading the transcript of an interview in which an author (I think it was Terry Pratchett) stated that his grounding in journalism meant that he had never suffered from writer's block. He commented that when you have a paper that needs to get filled every day, and a boss screaming at you to meet tight deadlines, then writer's block is not an option.

However, I think it is incorrect to say that there is no such thing as writer's block. The key is in the definition. It is true to say that there is nothing physically stopping us from writing every day. However, sometimes writers can't find the motivation / inspiration that they require to write to the level that they expect to and aspire to.

Writer's block can therefore be said to be about the writer's own expectations. Perfectionists are more likely to suffer from writer's block, because they won't allow themselves to write material that they believe to be below a standard that they have set themselves - sometimes unrealistically.

Writer's block can also be a symptom of a medical condition, especially depression. If we feel under-the-weather, either physically or mentally, then it becomes more difficult to generate the energy and intellectual sharpness required to think up new ideas and see them through.

The 'cure' to writer's block, therefore, is likely to be linked to wider issues of how well we are, how happy we feel in our lives, and allowing ourselves to write even when we're not entirely happy with what we're writing. I also feel that writing (and being creative)is like exercising - the more we do it the easier it becomes. This is why writers are often advised to allow themselves just to write several pages without thinking too much about what they are writing. The idea is that this stream of consciousness will help to spark the writer's creativity and reignite the passion that they have for writing. Hopefully, having broken that initial barrier, the writer will be able to get back into the swing of writing regularly without any fears of becoming blocked.

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