Overcoming Writer's Block

If you’ve been sitting by your computer for days, weeks, months, or even years wringing your hands and wondering what’s stopping the words in your head from landing on the page, the following tips may provide some food for thought and quite possibly end your writer’s block:

1) MAKE SURE THAT YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE A GOOD WRITER: If you harbor any limiting beliefs or self sabotaging feelings (even down deep in your subconscious), you may find it difficult to write. Do you ever find that when you make an effort to write, the inner critic (false voice in your head), starts tossing objections at you? Thoughts like "What are you thinking – you’re no writer! You don't have time to write! You have no content left! No one will be interested in this thing you are trying to write," flood your head, leaving you feeling so overwhelmed your hands seem paralyzed! In my case, I wanted to write articles and books on self-growth, but my inner critic had me convinced that without a degree no one would take me (or anything I wrote) seriously. First, I had to become aware of this constant negative tape that played in my head “You can’t write about self-help! You don’t have a degree!” Second, I had to be willing to believe otherwise - I went into the bookstore and looked at all different self-help books and was amazed at the number of books that were written by people without degrees! That really helped me to get past that limiting belief. I suggest you determine what your inner critic is saying to you and then choose to think differently or prove to yourself (as I did) that you have what it takes just like any other well known author.

2) JOURNAL YOUR INNER PAIN AND FRUSTRATION: This is what I call “venting on paper”. If there is something your inner SPIRIT needs you to write in order to heal, you may find it difficult to write the things you want until you write the things you need. I was raised in an abusive home and never dared to fight back even when I was treated terribly. I felt I lost my "voice". As an adult, I learned if I couldn't confront the abuser, I could at least vent my pain via pen and paper. To certain individuals, I wrote letters that I chose not to send. Just the act of writing the letter and burning it was incredibly healing and enabled me to move forward with my publications to some degree. But it wasn’t until I finally worked up the nerve to stand up to a relative by actually mailing a letter that I noticed my writers block began to disappear! I wrote an honest, but firm letter out of love and not as an attack, and the moment I dropped the envelope off at the post office, I felt a freedom like none I'd felt before. Within a couple weeks I published 6 articles in electronic and hard copy magazines. I knew it was because I had finally written something that my inner spirit needed me to write (the letter). All that painful stuff had blocked my ability to write the stuff I enjoy writing! I encourage you to look inside and see if there is something your own spirit is yearning to release in writing in order for you to heal. Either in a journal or in a letter you burn...or best of all, in a letter you send. I assure you, the act of journaling your pain will free you up to write your desires.

3) BE AWARE OF (AND ELIMINATE) THE "FEAR OF SUCCESS": Could you harbor some fear way down deep that you may not be aware of? Fear that your writing will make you so successful you may offend someone (like a parent, or a husband, or a sister?) Fear of success means counting the cost. "What will I lose if I become successful?" Or better said - "WHO will I lose if I become successful". Many successful people, who were raised in middle class families or families barely making ends meet, found it difficult to do something amazing (like write) for fear it would offend their parents on some level. I know a famous author (20 some books and still writing), who was raised by a family of little means whose values were "hard work is good for you!” This author started making so much money as a result of his writing, that he no longer needed to work long hours, but then he would hit financial plateaus and experience writer’s block on a grand scale. His dad’s values from childhood haunted him and he worried dad would think him lazy for not working much...or that dad would be offended by a son who did better in life than he did. The son became aware of this deep seeded fear and chose instead to believe his dad would actually be very proud of him for his accomplishments thus ending his fear of success and eliminating his writer’s block.

4) KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROCRASTINATION AND PROCESSING: This last tip is an excerpt of an article I wrote recently. Procrastination certainly causes writer’s block, but is actually the symptom, not the cause of writer’s block. The question to ask yourself is why are you procrastinating? Is it something easy to identify like time management issues - no time left in the day to write? Or is it something deeper that relates to things I’ve mentioned - limiting beliefs or fear of success? When you’ve ruled out those things, I encourage you to consider this. You might not be stuck, you might not be procrastinating, you might just be PROCESSING! Your internal “computer” brain takes in information every micro-second of every day – that’s a lot of information, ideas, energy and drama! Processing time is very important; think of it as a “download” of information into your brain. If you have ever downloaded new software on your real computer, you understand the need to turn off all other applications and restart your computer. Can you apply that same principle to your brain? Simply believe that even when things appear to be “stuck”, that something is really happening – filling you, refreshing you, and preparing you to move forward successfully. Be patient and don’t fight the process!