Geniuses Don't Get Writer's Block

You do not suck

Look, even the best of us eventually hit a dead-end. It’s called being human. However, I’ve found that sitting alone in your apartment all day, letting the stress build-up, feeling the warm sensation that is a testosterone enzyme quickly killing every hair follicle on your head, is usually not the best option. The first thing you should realize is that you’re not untalented, and your gift has not magically disappeared, like most Americans’ love of proper grammar. You run hot on an idea, you run cold. Maybe you’re too hung up on one thing about your story, or maybe you’re focusing on the wrong thing. Perhaps you could use an outside opinion. Or, here’s my guess: you’ve done nothing but obsess on your story/article/blog post, and forgot to go live your life. Just a thought.

Put yourself in an uncomfortable position

Consider the starting quarterback from your high school football team. Have you spoken to him recently? He just posted a bunch of photos from his summer vacation on Facebook. He’s gained about forty pounds. He still lives in the same town you two grew up in. And, he never shuts up about how awesome high school was. Oh – for extra measure – let’s also say he’s 27. Anyway, I bet you’re thinking “What happened to this guy? He seems nice enough; why is this his future?” Similarly, think about the record store clerk who always has something snarky to say about the new Gogol Bordello album. Or, the super-bitter manager of your local Blockbuster. See any patterns? This is the result of fear, my friends. Fear of… well, really anything. It’s easy to crank out the same thing and call it work. But when you encounter a challenge – like creative constipation – can you push through? Maybe even make yourself do something different as a writer? Something you previously despised? Is could be the difference between making a breakthrough and getting a drinking habit. I’m not telling which…

Feel no pity for yourself

Oh no – my gift! Oh gee, this is awful! What will the world do?!? How is anybody going to figure out the best way to sleep with a Maxim girl?!? Look, first things first – you write. You are not a politician. You are not a scientist. You are not a consumer activist. You are not Matt Fried. The fact is the world will go on if your magnum opus never materializes. That said, don’t waste time and energy thinking that you will never write again. You need to figure out a way to WORK through this and get on with it. You have talent. But don’t kid yourself into thinking that people are going to throw you a pity party. Shut up, figure out what’s wrong, and fix it. This whole ordeal is really that simple. If you think this is the first time in human history that someone doesn’t know how to express himself, man – do you need help. By the way, can I get soy in my mocha?

You are your own worst critic

In an era when our entire culture seems to be imploding on us, it’s almost too easy to blame someone else. Here’s the thing though: the future is in your hands. If you really love writing – or anything else for that matter – you will find a way through the worst of it. But if you let five years go by, and everybody else gets famous, and you’re still couch surfing, working your office assistant’s job, wondering why only college freshmen girls don’t find you pretentious, guess what? There’s only one person to point the finger at – you. Nobody asked you to take a path in the arts. So, equally, nobody is really going to care if you never put anything together. But, just remember: any fear or doubt you may be feeling is completely self-induced. Are you going to listen to that voice in you head saying “No.” Or, are you going to make something great happen? Once again, it’s your call.

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Writing Spaces for Rent

Do as you write

Let’s face one essential truth: writers are losers. We’re not the center of attention. We write about the center of attention. An essential characteristic of all good writing is being able to portray life as it is. Why? Because any good writer actually has a life. In my case – for example – I write about New York City. So, when I’m stuck, I actually walk out my door and go explore New York City. It sounds simple, but you would be surprised how many people take their personal lives for granted. Walk around your neighborhood. Go to the gym. Go see a movie. Take a temp job. Perform a mafia hit. The best in a writer is his ability to reflect on the world around him. Therefore, you should actually bother to see what is happening in the world around you. Now, there are writers who don’t participate in this practice. But you know them better as “full-time undergrad professors”.

Consider a life-threatening addiction

Just a thought…

Do something else

Here’s a crazy idea: why don’t you just not work on whatever it is you’re working on. Sometimes, when we put an intense focus on a project, and then add all this expectation to it, it’s never going to be as good as we want it to be. Similarly, we get so caught up in making it “perfect”, that we forget what we were writing about in the first place. This is where – if you are really serious about what you’re doing as a writer – you’ll have more than one coal in the fire. Blogging is always a good outlet, or just writing something else that you do for fun. Or, even better, having something that occupies your time outside of writing. As with me, that would be comedy. At the end of the day, there’s no better stress reliever than catching a show, or playing a show, drinking with your friends until four in the morning, stumbling into your apartment at daybreak, sleeping away all normal working hours, eschewing contact from the outside world, only to finally wake up at dusk. Your head is still clouded with self-doubt, but at least, you have something to write about!

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