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A Blank Page: How to Beat Writer's Block

© Kim Kay

"You have to want to write and like to write. Sit down at that desk or machine or laptop and tell stories." - Linda Fairstein

You sit down in front of the computer, ready to get to work on your novel. You open a blank document, put your fingers on the keyboard, and completely freeze up. You cannot think of anything to write, even though you may have had a bunch of great ideas just a few hours earlier. Your mind is as blank as the screen in front of you and you start to wonder if you will ever be able to write again. This is writer's block and it happens to virtually all writers at some point. It may last a few hours or it may last a few months and during that time, you will probably question your ability to write. You may also begin to avoid writing altogether. The longer writer's block continues and the more stress it causes, the harder it is to overcome.

What causes writer's block?

Probably the most common cause of writer's block is fear of failure. You are afraid that what you write won't be good enough so you avoid writing at all. You expect everything you write to be perfect but you cannot live up to these ideals so you quit trying. You can prevent this from happening by accepting one simple thing: Everything you write is not going to be, nor should it be, perfect. For every good paragraph you write, ten others may be terrible and that is perfectly normal. The first draft of anything should be less than perfect. That's what editing and rewriting are for. By focusing on your writing instead of the finished product, you can avoid getting caught up in the quest for perfection.

Another cause is pushing yourself to do too much in too short of a time. Maybe you heard that your favorite author writes 1,000 words per day or all your friends are entering writing contests and churning out story after story. You consider these people successful and imitate their writing habits in the hopes that you too will be a success. Unfortunately, it can cause the opposite effect. Setting unreasonable goals for yourself which you cannot meet will only discourage you and contribute to writer's block. If you get overwhelmed, you will have a difficult time writing at all. If you wish to set goals for yourself, make sure they are reasonable. If you can only write for 10 minutes, three times per day, that is OK. Forget what everyone else is doing, develop a schedule that works for you and stick to it.