Writer’s block is a thing.
It definitely is and not just that, it can be a persistent thing. But, the whole issue with writer’s block is not so much that you can’t write but more that you can’t think.
As a writer, you picture yourself being struck by that moment of inspiration and you see yourself furiously typing away at your keyboard, churning out paragraph after paragraph in a frenzy.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. Sure, you have your moments of clarity and ideas come to you (mostly when you’re driving or showering) but, more often than not, it doesn’t really work out that way.
You’re struck by an idea but then when you start to write it out, you realize that you’re done after just two paragraphs. You try to develop the idea but you realize that you can’t keep it going and there’s not much more you can say. So you decide to come back to it later.
Before you know it, you have at least a hundred unfinished drafts in your folder.
What I’ve learned is that you can’t always wait for inspiration. And, even if you do, you need to power through the writing.
Churning out writing is no easy task. Churning out writing consistently is even more challenging. But, it has to be done.
Most blogs giving out writing advice will discuss quality over quantity. While this may be true to a certain extent, I think striking a balance is important.
I decided to write a weekly newsletter. Some weeks I don’t have the energy and there’s not much to write about. I feel completely blocked and have no idea how to go about putting out an issue. But you know what, I do it any way.
I’ve come to realize that having a set deadline for writing is really helpful. I’ve built a rather large audience for my finance newsletter and people look forward to the updates every weekend. This in itself is a wonderful feeling, and a huge motivation to keep writing.
So even if I have a mental block, I power through it. And, I realize that not every issue is as great as it could be. Sometimes, I make the content shorter. Sometimes, I feel that I could’ve done better.
But, at least I write. And I don’t give up.
Looking through a frosty window... 