I am currently in the middle of yet another Writer’s block. This time it has been eight months and counting. Writer’s block visits me every so often, but I suppose it is, in part, also due to a combination of my schedule and lack of discipline.

After years of research and personal experience, American novelist, essayist and editor, Sandra Scofield deduced that the main contributors of writer’s block are lack of research, lack of imagination, lack of focus and lack of confidence. And you know what? I am inclined to believe her.

One of the worst blocks I encountered came after I released an excerpt for my novel, “Leech”. Unprepared, and perhaps having been so engrossed and excited by the prospects of my work, somewhere during the feedback process I became timid and dreadfully afraid that I would have to scrap the project because it wasn’t right. And no matter the applause, nor the comforting words of ‘hang in there’ or ‘you can do it’, I was filled with doubt that maybe, just maybe, I couldn’t write this book- moreover, maybe, after all, I couldn’t write. Within moments, I threw out my timeline, dashed my hopes and stopped writing. It took more than a year and a half to get back to it. How’s that for a lack of confidence and focus, Sandra?

Stephen King’s advice
After I stopped working on my draft, I admit that I was very disturbed. “Leech” is a project that had stuck with my ever-fickle mind for years, as though the story had to be told, yet I was putting it down because I became afraid of the naysayers of the world. Determined to start writing again, I began everything: reading, joining writing groups, and even entered a few writing competitions just for kicks. I figured that at some point, the muse had to return.

Then I stumbled across a recommendation for Stephen King’s book ‘On Writing’. I hate ‘How to’ books, but without thinking- and maybe because I was clutching at straws at this point, I purchased the book. I can tell you right now that, mainstream or not, Stephen King knows his stuff. First off, he had me by saying that he wasn’t about to tell anyone how to do anything, and I appreciated that, but the two pieces of advice that touched me deeply was that someone will always speak lousily about your work, and that you should never discard a piece of work because it becomes difficult or daunting. It sounds simple enough, I know, but I think it made me realise that even the greatest suffer from drawbacks like these, so what makes me exempt of them? Someone very close to me told me that the only thing separating me from Stephen King, is my trying. And hey, let’s not be crazy, I may not ever get there, but indeed it is my effort that will make all the difference.

Wooing the muse
Regardless of the upliftment you receive, writer’s block lingers in the air like a recurring bad dream. So what happens then? Here are some bits of advice that writers have said works for them:

* Write every day- This is usually the hardest part. When your confidence is shot, the last thing you want to do is look at your computer or pick up a pen. But writers contend that blocks are a battle and the only way to fight it is to continue to face that fear day after day, even if you think that what you are writing is not quality stuff.

* Cultivate an agile mind- stretch your creativity, join writing groups, conduct “story-aerobics” Sandra Scofield advises. Developing skills helps to develop your creativity, which further helps to develop your confidence in writing. These things all contribute to your end product during the toughest of times. Keep exercising your muscles even through a block.

* Never stop researching- If you find that you really can’t write, perhaps it is because you ran out of credible information to expand on. So put the project aside for a while and invest in learning more about your subject or field you are writing on. Gathering more information is bound to cultivate more ideas.

* Put it down on paper- When I cannot write actual novel-worthy words, I still make notes. Sometimes an idea may pop into my head but I am too down and out to write about it. I jot it down in my notebook and come back to it later. I’m usually very grateful for this later on when I am back in my writing groove. Good ideas are often forgotten when you’re in a rut. So write them down!

* Keep at it! No matter what, as cliched as it may sound, just don’t give up on your project. I know that my novel was meant to be written because the idea never leaves my brain. So six years and several blocks later, I still intend to finish it.

So this is not a declaration that my block has been lifted. This is a humble acknowledgement of what went wrong in my process, and my determination to not let it affect my dream.

“STOPPING A PIECE OF WORK JUST BECAUSE IT’S HARD, EITHER EMOTIONALLY OR IMAGINATIVELY, IS A BAD IDEA. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO ON WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT, AND SOMETIMES YOU’RE DOING GOOD WORK WHEN IT FEELS LIKE ALL YOU’RE MANAGING IS TO SHOVEL S**T FROM A SITTING POSITION,” Stephen King.

Interested in contributing to this column on writing? Email me at thewritemind592@gmail.com