Just as writers talk about the muse suddenly striking them with inspiration, "writer’s block" can also strike them down in an instant and last anywhere from hours to months, or even years.
But is writer’s block real? Or is it just a writer-specific term for procrastination, lack of focus, or freezing under pressure? Or is it akin to Schrödinger's cat, where the answer to both questions is "yes" and "no"?
Arguments for Writer's Block
“I tell my students there is such a thing as ‘writer’s block,’ and they should respect it. You shouldn’t write through it. It’s blocked because it ought to be blocked.” These are the words of Toni Morrison, author of Beloved.
In an interview with Lit Hub, Morrison also said, that when reading a book, she could always tell when the author had written through a block. She was alluding to the need to address, not charge past, the root cause of the issue. Maybe writer’s block is something to be respected. After all, it’s hard to argue with a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author.
Morrison also said, that when reading a book, she could always tell when the author had written through a block. She was alluding to the need to address, not charge past, the root cause of the issue.
Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties, believes writer’s block is real too. In an interview with Volume 1 Brooklyn, she said, “Reading is the way you can prevent writer’s block or get over writer’s block. You can’t keep writing if you’re not filling your gas tank with whatever you want to read.” Perhaps writer’s block is merely the result of a lack of stimulation and creative ideas. For some, it could be the root cause that Morrison hinted at.
And consider Franz Kafka, the literary equivalent of the surrealist Salvador Dali, who suffered deeply from writer’s block.
“The end of writing. When will it take me up again? ... Again tried to write, virtually useless ... Complete standstill. Unending torments.” The author of The Metamorphosis wrote many diary entries like this.
When a writer revered as a visionary struggled to put pen to paper, surely this is proof enough that writer’s block is real? But the jury is still out.
Arguments Against Writer’s Block
Another Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist to weigh in is Elizabeth Strout. In an interview with The Washington Post, Strout said, “I have never had writer’s block. My writer’s block takes the form of writing badly, which is much more preferable.”
For many, writer’s block can be attributed to a fear of failure, a lack of momentum, or perfectionism. (Take it from Margaret Atwood: “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”) Some writers feel blocked when writing a messy first draft. But Strout suggests you should continue writing badly until the right words come.
For many, writer’s block can be attributed to a fear of failure, a lack of momentum, or perfectionism.
Patrick Rothfuss, author of the Kingkiller Chronicle universe, takes a strong stance on the argument. “It does not exist. We’ll state it flatly,” he said in an interview with Syfy. “No plumber ever gets to call in to work, and they’re like ‘Jake, I have plumber’s block.’”
Even career writers claim that writer’s block doesn’t exist when you’re relying on your words to pay the bills. (Amy Alkon said, “I earn a living as a syndicated columnist and author, there’s no room for writer’s block.”)
If you’re a creative writer without a deadline from an editor looming overhead, the onus is on you alone. No one else is going to make you write. Self-motivation waxes and wanes — and that’s where so-called writer’s block has the opportunity to creep in.
Writer’s Block vs. the People: Closing Argument
At Freewrite, our stance is that no, writer’s block is not a paralyzing, incurable affliction. But yes, there are forces working against you. From distracting, attention-sucking technology, to competing priorities, to your own brain.
No, writer’s block is not a paralyzing, incurable affliction. But yes, there are forces working against you.
No matter how you dress it up, writing is tough. But the good news is there are tried-and-tested ways to prevent and banish "writer’s block."
