When it comes to results, writer’s block is to a professional writer what a broken arm is to a professional baseball player. It’s painful, causes loss of work, and brings with it the thought that it might mean the end of a career.
But what is it? What is this thing we call ‘writer’s block’?
For every writer I’m sure it’s different, but for me:
Writer’s block is a black hole in my brain that snags each brightly lit idea and sucks it away just as my hands hit the keyboard.
Writer’s block is over thinking plot lines and character traits. It’s spending so much time in the planning stage that the writing stage never happens.
Writer’s block is being caught up the day-to-day chaos that is my everyday life.
Writer’s block is receiving rejection after rejection, until the belief takes hold that rejections are all that will ever come.
Writer’s block is letting one snarky review overshadow all the good reviews.
Writer’s block is the fear that my belief in myself is unfounded. That I’m a bad writer and will always be a bad writer.
Writer’s block is the belief that even if I craft every thought as perfectly as I’m able, even if I share my very soul, I’ll never be thought of as anything but an amateur.
Writer’s block is each truly horrific moment when the switch in my brain is stuck in the “off” position. When the ability to write is not so much blocked as it is broken.
Writer’s block steals hope and replaces it with doubt.
Writer’s block is sometimes a hurdle to be jumped over, and sometimes a mountain to be climbed.
Writer’s block is insidious and powerful.
But luckily, writer’s block is all in my head.