ElliePeter

Writer’s block. The age old phenomenon that has affected every person that has ever been under a deadline. Whether it’s an essay due tomorrow, a story for the newspaper or even an email, writer’s block makes the swinging pendulum sharper. 

The feeling of writer’s block is heavy on the mind, like the words are trying to force their way out of a box. The box is made out soundproof, insulated metal with barbed wire on top. Writer’s block does not only cause anxiety, but also exists because of anxiety, whether it be performance anxiety, writing anxiety or worries that you won’t be published or get a good grade. 

Writer’s block affects everyone who can put words on paper, from simple essays to award winning novelists. Adele Myers, author of “The Tobacco Wives” (the sophomore summer read novel), describes writer’s block as feeling “stuck, paralyzed, unable to put words on paper.” 

It’s important to know that writer’s block is not a sign that you’re not a good writer. Everyone experiences a pause in writing, especially when you find something to critique about what you’re writing. If something really isn’t flowing, “it’s often a signal to me that something in my story is not working,” Myers said. 

The struggle of writer’s block is finding your way out of it. It may seem like the keyboard is swimming over your head and letters become foreign, but it’s not as endless as it feels. 

Bonnie Garmus, author of “Lessons In Chemistry” (the senior summer read novel) and co-executive producer on the Apple TV adaptation of the novel, encourages writers to remember that writing is not always going to ebb and flow like one might expect. 

Garmus’s plan to target writer’s block is to “treat writing like you’re a marathoner training for a big race. Put in the miles,” she said. Avoiding or denying writers’ block is only going to make it worse in the long run. 

Both Myers and Garmus advise writers not to panic. Writer’s block is a temporary bump on the road on a long, long path. Giving up on your story is unnecessary. Myers said that if part of your writing isn’t flowing, it may just be wrong for the story. The process of writing requires changes, and forcing a predestined ending can screw up the writing process.  

If you’re writing your own story, don’t expect it to be consistently stopped by a block. Writing comes and goes, and you may have a streak of smooth and perfect writing. Writing is like a river. Sometimes it will be smooth and gentle, and sometimes it will be rough and rocky waters that force you to sit on the shore for a while. 

If you do have to sit on the shore, find something to occupy your mind. Anything simple and uncomplicated is a good way to get your pen back up. Be careful to not give up completely, and “[write] even when you don’t want to,” said Garmus, “and if you do all of that and still feel stuck, go clean the bathroom.” 

Even novels require rough drafts. If your writing isn’t perfect the first time around, there will be more opportunities to find your perfect story. Myers’s advice to those who want to become a writer, but feel like writer’s block is holding them back, is to “give yourself permission to write badly.” 

There’s no shame in taking a break and walking away from your writing. It may require a clear mind and a calm heart for your story to flow. There’s no specific manual for writing, just what feels right for you. Remember, “you will eventually come out of it,” Myers said.