Blog Layout
Why don't we get 'TV Block'?
Charlotte Booth • 4 February 2022
Overcoming 'Writer's Block'.
As a writer, of course this has happened to me. But it's not Writer's Block because Writer's Block as a mythical condition does not exist.
'Writer’s Block' is that moment you decide to write, but have no idea what words to put on the page. Your creative brain is a desert just before the tumbleweed trips across the horizon.
However, most people suffer from this in some form throughout their lives. Whether they are writers or not.
That moment at school when your teacher tells you to write a story about something good that happened to you. Or that time you can’t concentrate on reading a book or watching a film. That moment you scan through Netflix or the TV channels and can't find anything you want to watch.
You wouldn't claim this to be Reader’s Block or TV Block. Why do writers have their own syndrome name, for something that is lack of inspiration, motivation and ideas?
And that is essentially all it is.
If you approach a writing project with no idea where you are going to start or even the ideas you want to include, of course you will get stuck.
Some days, perhaps you are not in the mood to write that essay, report, magazine article or book chapter. You are simply not in the mood for the task you have set yourself. No biggy!
How do you overcome this block then? There are different ways to approach it, depending on what the cause of the block is.
- Lack of inspiration - If you are not in the mood to write what you have set yourself for today, then don't try to force it. Go for a walk (I know, it's apparently the answer for everything), or write or do something else.
- Lack of ideas
- When you sit at the screen and have no idea what to write, then this can be solved by planning ahead. All the authors who go through my
From Brain to Book
programme write a ridiculously detailed content page for their book, meaning they will always know what to write when they sit in front of the screen. Research can help. If at school, you were told "Write a story about something good that happened to you", it would have helped if you had some time to think of an incident, write down details, feelings, what the weather was like but instead you were probably given 30 minutes to complete it. So if you have an idea for something, brainstorm angles, outcomes, emotions, people to interview, research needed - essentially any ideas for what can be included.
- Fear - Sometimes a block can come with a fear of the blank screen, a fear that what you write will be rubbish, and general doubts that no one will want to read it. You may be right but no one has to see a first draft as they are often rubbish. But, you can improve a first draft of rubbish text. You can't improve on a blank page. If fear is holding you back, don't think of the finished project, use the first writing session as a way of getting ideas down. They don't have to be sentences, they don't have to be in order, they just need to be written.
The idea of 'Writer's Block' has grown into a massive mythical beast, and once it gets in your head then that's it. Your career as a writer is over. It's not.
Inspiration, ideas and the need to get your thoughts down will return. I have had periods where I don't have an idea for a book, and I worry that I will never write another book again, but then something will spark interest and I can see a book develop, and I can get writing again.
It's not permanent, and sometimes talking ideas through with someone can help kick the block to the curb. If you would like to talk about writing your first non-fiction book or need an inspiration kickstart then drop me an email.
Even doing something you are passionate about can end in overwhelm and burnout. Here I talk about my six month break from marketing.
What would you rather own - a real Van Gogh painting or a print? Why is that? The value of having a direct connection with a creative personality is huge, and yet many people are happy to have soulless AI content instead of well thought out and considered experience of a copywriter. Why is that?
As if we haven't got enough to do with our daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists, did you know there is also a silent to-do list as well?
How do you stand out from the crowd when promoting your business? How you get your business heard over the noise? With a little creativity of course.
ChatGPT is here to stay whether we like it or not. Here are some tips on getting the best results from the app.
At no point in history have we had to deal with so much information. Here are some simple tips for dealing with infobesity.
Writing memoirs seems easy, but getting the research right is important.
Getting your business website up and running can feel like a massive achievement. But if the content doesn't sing, the website won't perform. Here are four tips to get you started.
A vital part of writing a long-form article or book is the editing. Here are five key steps to getting it right.
Admit it, you've said I don't have the time as an excuse why you can't start a new project. But if you truly wanted to do it you would be able to find the time you need.
