Addressing Writer's Block by Understanding It
By Dra. Aurora Chang
The last few years have been brutal, period. When it comes to writing productivity and life in general, I have felt lost, frozen, and scattered depending on the day. I don’t need to explain why – you have been living in the same world right there with me. Yet, that feeling of writer’s block didn’t appear with the onset of the pandemic. As much I’d like to say my lack of writing is the pandemic’s fault, I know that bouts of writer’s block hit me long before March of 2020.
Why? Because something always comes up (global crisis, illness, life event, family stuff, teaching prep, service obligations) that leads me to think, “I am un ______ (unprepared, unfit, unable, unmotivated, unprepared, and on and on) to write.” So, given this perpetual state of expected interruptions and setbacks, how does one overcome writer’s block?
In the NCFDD guest expert webinar I facilitated which you can find below this article, I address this very question. I focus on the stories we tell ourselves about who we are as academic writers and how that narration deeply impacts our perceived ability to write. I ask the broad question – how do we revise our self-narratives so that writing feels freeing rather than confining? What are simple, practical ways to overcome academic writing blocks when they hit? The main takeaway? Understanding the roots of your writing block is at the crux of overcoming it. By the end of the webinar, you will: reflect on the relationship between academic writing and your personal identity, understand and re-narrate the stories you tell about your writing identity, and learn strategies to conquer academic writing blocks.
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way as an academic writer, NCFDD coach, and developmental editor, on how to approach writer’s block:
Know thyself
What is your story? More specifically, what is the story you have told yourself relative to your identity as a writer? There is a narrative that each of us has internalized about who we are as writers that is at the intersection of academic culture, your personal identity, and your identity as a writer. From your earliest memories of writing to the messages you have received from others about writing, there is a subconscious narrative that you draw upon every time you sit in front of your laptop to write. Once you reflect upon and identify that narrative, you may find that writer’s block has less to do with lacking time, space, or energy but rather with something you didn’t expect – how you see yourself as a writer. It might be time to spend some quality time revising that narrative.
Mix it up
It’s true – keep doing the same thing over and over again and you will never get a different result. So, how’s your current approach to writing working out for you? If you answered anything close to “it’s not” then may I suggest changing your approach? This can look several ways like simply changing the space you work in (either reorganizing or going somewhere else entirely), accepting that imperfect writing (whatever that is) is the perfect way to get started, or treating yourself with the same compassion that you do others when you are about to embark on the writing process.
Get it
Find ways to get inspired and get support. Believe me when I say that going at this writing thing alone is a sure path to loneliness, burnout, and misery. Inspiration can come from anywhere – it’s about being mindful enough to notice all the muses around you. And, when inspiration is not happening, reach out to a trusted friend or colleague, start a writing group, attend a writing retreat, or hire a developmental editor or writing coach. I know that seeking help is not a cornerstone of academic culture, but it is the only way to open yourself up to the encouragement and guidance that you deserve (and that you give so freely to others).
Writing is challenging but we can do challenging things – we always do. We have the agency to revise the stories we tell ourselves about who we are as writers. We can change our approach to writing and we can get support. The alternative is shutting down, convincing yourself you aren’t good enough, and hoping that inspiration will come knocking on your door. I have tried that too many times to know I need to try something different. I hope you will take this as an invitation to embrace the little changes because they can make a big difference.
Improve your writing habit with NCFDD
The NCFDD empowers faculty for lasting success through programs, coaching, and on-demand support. One of the most popular NCFDD programs is the 14-Day Writing Challenge. The Challenge is an opportunity for you to experiment with daily writing, online community, and supportive accountability on our WriteNow platform. It's very simple:
- You commit to write every day for at least 30 minutes.
- At the beginning of your writing time, you log in to our online community, start the timer, complete your writing, and post your progress at the end.
- You take 5 minutes to support other writers in your group by commenting on their progress.
Writing, in this case, refers to any scholarly activity ranging from the spark of a new idea to polishing a near-complete project (article, grant proposal, exhibit, book chapter, etc.).
Join the next 14-Day Writing Challenge by completing the form below.
