Famous writers on writer's block

‘Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.’ So said Gene Fowler, the American journalist and author.

If you – and your forehead – have ever felt the pain of writer’s block, it’s worth taking some advice from some distinguished fellow sufferers. Although many of these come from creative writers, the same rules often apply.

Accept a degree of imperfection

‘I think writer’s block is when you say to yourself, “I could write something, but it wouldn’t be good enough.” There’s no such thing as a complete inability to write a sentence.’ Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert

‘If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.’ Margaret Atwood, Canadian author

Call it fear, call it perfectionism, call it Al. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain: an imperfect report or proposal will be much more effective than no report or proposal.

Tough love

‘Writer’s block… a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided if, in every sentence containing the word WRITER, that word was taken out and the word PLUMBER substituted. Do plumbers get plumber’s block? What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse not to do any work that day? The fact is that writing is hard work.’ Philip Pullman, British author

‘The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.’ Mary Heaton Vorse, American journalist, novelist and activist

Telling yourself you can’t do it won’t get it done. Telling yourself it’s a job, and one you’ve done before, might help to. And you’re definitely not going to finish while you’re gardening/taking up DIY/repainting the shed/learning to salsa etc.

Get going

‘You would think that after so many years I might have mastered the art – not of writing – but of putting myself in a position to write.’ Stephen Fry, British author, actor and comedian

‘The scariest moment is always just before you start [writing]. After that, things can only get better.’ Stephen King, American author

‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.’ Mark Twain, American author

Have a routine and stick to it. And don’t panic if you don’t have one yet. Just set yourself a time to start. Work for a short period, and then take a five-minute break. Repeat as required.

And if the ghost of the unwritten document is haunting you, break it down with planning exercises such as a mind map and a reader profile questionnaire.

Keep going

‘I have to get into a sort of zone. It has something to do with an inability to concentrate, which is the absolute bottom line of writing.’ Stephen Fry

You could be distracted by fear or by the latest email to land in your inbox, but either way it’s possible to train yourself to concentrate. If this involves turning off your phone, listening to music or sticking in earplugs, so be it. Learn what works for you, and practise. By gradually increasing the length of each short burst of work, interspersed with breaks, you will soon get into the zone.

Last resort

And if none of these quotes have struck a chord with you, consider this one:

‘Writer’s block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol.’ Steve Martin, American actor

Cheers. And for more block-busting tips, see the article ‘Tips for breaking through the barrier’.

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Author: Catie Holdridge

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Catie joined Emphasis with an English literature and creative writing degree and a keen interest in what makes language work. Having researched, written, commissioned and edited dozens of articles for the Emphasis blog, she now knows more about the intricacies of effective professional writing than she ever thought possible.

She produced and co-wrote our online training programme, The Complete Business Writer, and these days oversees all the Emphasis marketing efforts. And she keeps office repartee at a suitably literary level.