This week's guest post is by author Katherine Eddinger Smits, who wants to share her insight into writer's block.
Do you have Writer’s
Block? You know, the feeling that stops you from sitting down to write? It
prevents you from starting a new story or blog. It halts your work in progress
like a naughty pony skidding to a stop in front of a jump (usually tossing her
rider over her head to a crash landing on hard ground). It sends you into the
kitchen or bathroom to clean until the house shines, or out on a shopping
spree, anything to avoid the blank screen or page. Yeah, that’s the feeling.
Over the last few years, I’ve read a lot about Writer’s Block. Lots of people write
about it and propose solutions or ways to deal with it. Force yourself to
write. Give yourself a break from writing. Sit down and write anything that
comes into your mind, even if it isn’t related to your work. Journal. And more.
All are good ideas, and I’m sure they help some people. However, I’ve never
heard of anyone approaching the problem the way I do.
I’d like to propose an experiment. The next time you
get this feeling, stop and sit with it for a minute. Don’t try to force
yourself to write. Don’t beat yourself up for not writing. Don’t get busy so
you can avoid the feeling, telling yourself you’ll get back to writing later.
Don’t try to psychoanalyze yourself into revealing the deep-seated fears that
prevent you from working.
Sit. Breathe. Feel. Wait.
Now, change how you think. Instead of labeling your
feeling, Writer’s Block, call it
something else. Call it resistance. Say out loud to yourself, “I’m resisting
writing at this moment.”
How is this different? If something blocks you,
you’re stuck. You might envision yourself stopped by a giant, brick wall, or
some other obstacle that is much too difficult to break through. You’re passive.
There’s nothing you can do about it.
However, if you are resistant, you have the power to
change. You’re in charge and you’re only holding yourself back.
Now sit with the idea of resistance rather than
block for a minute. Notice the resistance with curiosity instead of judgement. Oh, I’m resistant to writing today. I wonder
why that is? See how different that
is from, I have Writer’s Block. What’s wrong with me?
The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with you.
Everyone feels resistant to doing things sometimes. It’s easy to understand
when you’re resisting doing something you truly don’t want to do, like going to
the dentist. It’s harder to understand when you’re resisting doing something
you love, like writing.
In addition to writing, I also ride horses. (You
might have figured that out from the pony reference above.) I love horses and
riding. But some days, I don’t want to go to the farm and take my lesson. I’m
resistant to it. If I sit and let myself feel my resistance with curiosity,
sometimes I realize it’s because I’m tired, or fighting a cold, or scared of
falling off and getting hurt. Maybe my body just wants to be comfortable and
staying inside in the air conditioning is a lot more comfortable than putting
on long pants, boots and a helmet and then exerting myself in 90+ degrees.
Maybe I’m worried I won’t perform well. Riding lessons involve getting yelled
at a lot. Whatever the reason, some days, I feel resistance. After I notice
resistance is the little voice whispering in my mind, Cancel that lesson. Stay home. You know, you really need to clean the
house, I know I can either decide to take the lesson or skip it, but it’s
my decision, not something outside myself preventing me from doing it.
Writing is the same way. Once you realize that the
little voice is your own, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming anymore. The awful
feeling is not so strong because you have interpreted the situation
differently. Maybe you’ll decide to skip writing that day. Or maybe you’ll
decide to sit down and write just a few words. Before you know it, you may have
written a lot.
In counseling, we call this technique reframing. It
works because most of the time our emotions result from the messages we give
ourselves about a situation, rather than the actual situation itself. For
example, if you’re driving and someone speeds by you at 100 mph, you might
think: That reckless person is going to
cause an accident! That’s terrible. You get mad. Adrenaline spikes in your
bloodstream and you’re ready to fight, or at least give the person a piece of
your mind.
But what if the person speeding by you is driving an
ambulance, with lights flashing and siren blaring? That’s different. You might
think: There’s an emergency and they’re
on their way to help someone. You don’t get mad. Your main concern is to
get out of the way, so they can reach their destination.
Reframing works just as well when we do it for
ourselves as when a counselor does it for us. Try it when you’re feeling
resistance to writing. Say to yourself, “Well, I notice I’m resisting writing
today.” How does that feel? Is it less debilitating than thinking, “I have Writer’s Block”?
I’d love to hear from you. Did this experiment help
you? Or not? Do you think this is a completely crazy idea that can’t possibly
work? That’s okay. There’s no universal cure for much of anything. Maybe you
have a better idea, or something that worked better for you. I’d love comments.
Katherine Eddinger Smits has a BA in
Psychology and Sociology and a Masters in Social Work. She retired after over
two decades of helping veterans, families and community agencies as a clinical
social worker. She has published two paranormal romances and has several more
in the works. You can find out more about her at her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Interested in Katherine's books? Check them out here:
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