Writer's Block Read Count : 59

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Sub Category : Miscellaneous

In 'Writing the Australian Crawl', Sanford Pisker interviewed the celebrated poet, William Stafford, who is perhaps the most prolific poet ever having penned over 20000 poems on the subject of writer's block. Below is an excerpt of the said interview: 


"Pisker: It doesn't seem as if you are troubled by writer's block. 


Stafford: Writer's blocks? I don't believe in them. 


Pisker: But what if somebody has one? Doesn't that person have to believe in them? You do not suffer from them, but surely other people do. 


Stafford: No, I've never experienced anything like that. I believe that the so-called "writer's block" is a product of some kind of disproportion between your standards and your performance. I can imagine a person beginning to feel that they have not been able to write up to that standard they imagine the world has set for them but to me, that's surrealistic. The only standard I can rationally have is the standard I'm meeting right now. Of course, I can write. Anybody can write. People might think that their product is not worthy of the person they assume they are. But it is."


When I thought about what he said, I thought it made a lot of sense. Yet, at the same time, I also thought, "easier said than done." I mean, how does one write when they are met with a dead wall of writer's block? But then when I read the interview again and realized that the only reason why Pisker interviewed Stafford in the first place, that's when I knew there has to be a way around the dreaded writer's block. Stafford after all had penned over 20000 poems on the subject of writer's block. 20000! Surely he must know what he's talking about, right? So I sat in my favourite corner of my living room with a mug of coffee and began to crack my head trying to figure out the how. And that was when I decided to try out the free writing technique. How does it work? Free writing, writing freely. When you are stuck in writer's block, just write freely about how the writer's block is making you feel. What you're going through. Easy, right? Anyway, I decided to give it a shot and below is what I had come up with: 


"I am unable to write. I sit in front of the blank sheet and words do not come. My memory fails me. There are so many things I wish to share, but my pen doesn't flow, my fingers do not move. I start looking around, in search of an odd inspiration. I look at the fan that hovers above, turning around and around in a slow and steady rhythm. I notice layers of grime hiding its original colour. Gross! The bright white screen of Writer's Outlet that dazzles my face, highlighting the slight pointed nose - inherited from my late grandfather. My toes, curled with stress, dig deeper into the hard parquet floor. I feel frustrated and am about to give up just when a thought popped up in my head. I wonder, what if I just write about how I'm feeling right now? I let my thoughts flow, writing whatever I'm feeling, seeing. Free writing, writing freely. Words trickle down on the screen. As I continue, I see more words falling. Like water. Thick and viscous at first, but bubbling a moment later. The bucket gets filled, and a paragraph is completed. Sigh."


It's a funny thing about writing that to break away from writer's block as I had to do nothing but write. So if you find yourself stuck with a mind blank of ideas, try this out. Don't think, just write. Write your heart out. Let your stream of consciousness flow as words. Writing is hard work and sometimes the only thing the writer has at hand is discipline - showing up at the writing desk or on the compose screen of Writer's Outlet, no matter what. Creativity is not taught but caught. To catch it, you have to keep looking. As Stafford says, "It's okay to let your works be substandard provided you're at it with rigour."


At the end of the day, writing isn't just about writing, but rewriting. The first drafts are where you pour your heart. The subsequent drafts are where you put your mind. A true writer edits and rewrites after every draft, but finishing that first draft is where most writers give up. We, ourselves, create the block in writing by not showing up everyday. 


Today, why not try free writing. Describe in a matter-of-fact way what you feel, what you observe around you. Let your thoughts turn into words and let them flow. 


Before I close my post, I'd like to leave a quote for you:  'Everybody can write, but not everybody can sit and write.' - Unknown. 


Comments

  • Jan 13, 2019

  • fantastic! Thank you.

    Jan 13, 2019

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