Teens who don't believe in Writer's Block

I don't know, maybe I'm the only one, but I think writer's block is just an excuse we pull on ourselves so that we can take a break from writing. Does that make sense?

We'll get stumped on one word or a sentence and we'll stop writing because of 'Writer's block," but is that really why? I mean, we could just as easily skip over the stumper and come back to it later.

I'll admit, I believed in writer's block until NaNoWriMo 2011. Then the constant need to meet a word count goal took over and writer's block became a pathetic excuse.

I guess it's some consolation to know that Cornelia Funke doesn't believe in it either.

That is a very good theory. But I do believe in writer's block, at least for certain writing styles. Take me for instance: when I write, I'll have certain events planned out, but I write chronologically and hate jumping. In between major events, I write filler, which in turn usually leads to character development, which in turn can completely change things later on. I don't want to need to go back to a spot that I have already written and completely change it (I've had to do that before just so I wouldn't ruin the surprise twist later on). However, while writing filler, I tend to get stuck, as I have no idea what will help fill things out and let be humorous, dramatic, insightful, informative, or just all around entertaining.

The times when I get stuck are during fillers, but usually I have at least a vague idea of what I want to write. Way back when, I just thought this was writer's block, but it was in fact just me, subconsciously using that as an excuse not too write the filler --because what do we dread more than writing filler?

Actually, I love writing filler. Again, it gives my characters time for development. The problem is that I'm making it up as I go; no planning whatsoever. And I usually get stuck at the beginning of the filler, since I don't know how to keep the story progressing to the next planned event.

While I can see where you're coming from, and on principle I do believe that you can power your way through the slow parts to get things done, I do believe that you can experience writers block. When I completely lose the feel of my writing, I literally hit a wall and am unable to write a word ahead. That is a writers block for me. I wish I didn't experience it, but in my case, it isn't me being lazy. I have a good track record of completing my projects, and I stick to my projects till they're dotted and done. But yes, for me, writers block exists. And two of my stories are victim of it. And I'm not ashamed to say it.

Hmm... interesting idea. I think that there are definitely people who struggle with writing when they aren't inspired and other people who have an easier time plodding through. Yes, there are times when you hit a bit of a tangle in your plot that you struggle to work past and days when you really can't talk yourself into just plugging through, but does that add up to writer's block?

I think writer's block isn't something that happens overnight, but rather something that happens when you're confronted with a problem and after giving yourself a day off to think about it and unwind a little, you keep taking more time off until you reach a point where too much time has gone by and you literally can't continue writing because in the time that passed, your writing changed enough that continuing the project would be like trying to finish off someone else's story.

But it's quite possible that I only say that because to date, all the "writer's block" that I've hit was either a problem I worked through or if I didn't, I know that I willingly abandoned my project because I lacked the discipline and the will power to work my way through a difficult spot. It's quite possible that the problem only affects some people or that I've been fortunate enough to never have it.

Here's what it boils down to. The day I told myself writer's block didn't exist, was the day that it ended. I haven't experienced it since.

I used to, but I'm starting not to. Just because I get stuck on something, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. I just have to step away from it for a while and think about it, or just type out whatever comes into my head. First drafts are bound to be crappy anyway.

But there's this one story I was working on, and I was always getting stuck. Unfortunately I'd take breaks from it, breaks that lasted longer than a few days. ( 2 weeks sometimes. ) Yeah, I tried a re-write, but I haven't really looked at it or even worked on it. :/ Lesson learned.

Personally I do believe in writer's block and I don't think it's just a product of laziness. I had an extremely bad case of writer's block not long ago, that last for two years. I was suffering from severe depression at the time, which often leads to lethargy and a complete lack of motivation. I did try to write, but every time I sat down and opened the document my mind would just crash to a stop and a few times I came close to panic attacks over it. I really did want to write but I simply couldn't.

It's all well and good if some people are capable of just dismissing the idea of writer's block and getting on with their work, but it's a little ignorant to claim that it doesn't exist at all.

You can force yourself to write all you want, but that doesn't mean it's going to be any good.

I'd rather have one good work of literature that I crafted carefully, than a pile of crap I rushed.

For me, writing should be fun. It's not my job, so if I'm not enjoying it or am ramming my head into a wall to get inspiration, then I won't write. I don't see the point of forcing myself to power through something if I'm not enjoying it. I write for myself, sonic I have have writer's block, then I walk away until it leaves me alone. That's it.

Trust me, I enjoy writing enough to pursue it for the rest of my life. Plus, it IS my job. Maybe no one else here has ever sold a story, but believing in writer's block was the only thing that ever kept me from doing so. Artists don't get artist's block and composers don't get musician's block, so why should writing be any different?

Writer's Block is real. It's when you feel like you've ran into a wall in your story and can't think of anything else to add to it to continue the story. I don't see how not believing in Writer's Block will make it go away, unless you're just hating yourself whenever you get Writer's Block and thinking you're just lazy. And then going onto a forum and saying it doesn't exist and we're just lazy too.

While I agree writers block does not exist, I don't believe that it's necessarily laziness.

Writers block is a straw man for writers. It's the manifestation of countless wonky states of subconscious being. For most people, it's not laziness. There is a profound fear of failure; irritation with plot; dislike of characters; reluctance to begin, to continue, to end; mental exhaustion, from overexertion, depression, what have you; anxiety; confusion; insecurity about one's own writing.

The list continues indefinitely.

As such, I strongly encourage you to resist the blanket term of "writers block." Locate and acknowledge the real problem, so you may tackle it, then deal with the writing of things.

I'm a lazy person who likes to make up excuses. ^-^

Recently I discovered that I like writing on notebook paper, and then compiling them together electronically. I'll write short snippets at a time.

However, I've stopped writing for now until I've compiled because I SWEAR I've written the same scenes at least three times because I haven't compiled.

And I keep leaving my notebook in my locker. Oops.

Writer's block is the feeling of not being able to write, or to get yourself to write. That's where I am with my novels. All four of them. :3

xD

So I write poetry instead.

I think when something is going wrong in our writing (or life), we just call it 'writer's block' because we're not sure how to describe it. I've had times where I feel completely uninspired, but there's always a reason behind it and always a solution (sometimes it may take awhile, though). For example:

Problem: I'm having issues with my plot and I don't know how to fix it.
Solution: I brainstorm and write notes until I find the answer.

Problem: I'm bored with my story.
Solution: I find ways to make it interesting, or work on a different project for awhile.

You get the idea. Right now I have severe arthritis. Most days, I'm physically unable to write, and extreme pain and lack of sleep means my mental energy is pretty low. Some people would say that's a writer's block. But even my physical therapist told me, you can't give up the things you love just because you have arthritis. So I write on the good days, even if they're rare, and I don't waste my time with writer's block, because writing is a luxury and a gift. I can't take it for granted, because I know tomorrow I could wake up and not be able to write for several months. So when I hit a brick wall in my writing, I just find a solution and I'm always able to move past it.

That said, this is just what works for me. Some of the above comments are a little disrespectful... one of the most interesting things about writers is that we're all so different, and that's OK. We don't have to argue about it :)