I wrote this during a workshop for the National Writing Project. We were talking about blank page syndrome and I thought it might help some writers out. Where to start? I have heard the question echoed in writing communities stretched across the far reaches of the internet, bubbling up from the same primordial ooze out of which our ancestors crawled. I’d like to imagine some pseudo-human standing poised, chisel in hand, staring blankly at a stone wall. In my own writing practice there have been countless days where the urge to write has filled me like the air in a balloon, pressure pushing from within in all directions. Yet, when I am confronted with the empty page, the energy collapses and my balloon of inspiration deflates into a limp lump of disappointment. Where to start? In the case of a work of fiction, there seems to be a pressure to start at the beginning. But contrary to a particular singing nun, the beginning is not always a great place to start. Rarely as writers do we know where our story begins. When I dream up a novel I imagine a character’s defining moment, a scrap of dialogue, a formulating memory. Putting these things together, I begin to see a semblance of a story, but I am far from the structure needed to start at the beginning. So, going back to the question: where to start? Let’s start with what we know. Don’t worry about where it falls on the timeline. I’m not saying outlining is a bad idea, I utilize them myself, but it is not always helpful to start with an outline. It’s important for us to ask ourselves as writers: What do I already know? It can be a strip of dialogue, the description of a person or room, perhaps a mere smell has the power to inspire a work of writing. Structure should come well after the joy of writing those small moments. A truly wonderful resource to help get any writer started would be a writer’s notebook. I have never spoken to a successful writer who did not swear by their notebook. Not only can a notebook be a place to record thoughts, ideas or inspiration, but it can also be a place to discover old snippets of golden thought. Nothing is more valuable to my writing practice than the ability to go back and read things I have written. It’s almost like having a ghost me that hovers in my peripheral pointing out lines of my writing that suddenly speak to me. As writers there is a familiar stress to write, and a guilt when the words won’t come. It is a seed of corruption that only separates us from our goal, our love. In these situations, it is important for us to remember that spark of inspiration, that fuzzy glimpse into a world of delicious unknown. There is no need to define it right away, first let us describe it. How does it make us feel? Let us use language as a conduit of emotion. For we are writers, you and I, and we see in ink, taste in letters, and feel in words. Touch that pen to that paper and let these emotions tell you where to start.
I think I suffer from that. I'll agonize and dither over where to start. A powerful opening is needed, but I keep telling myself the perfect opening isn't. If that's my goal, I sit on my hands and get nothing done. Lately I've been thinking of outlining in different ways. I used to tell myself to stick to my task when I got the urge to write something before an outline was finished. Now, I follow that instant gratification and write a scene or short story that supports my goal. Character profiles don't suit my fancy, but writing snippets as they come to mind seems to help.
I've always just called that "writer's block." In my personal experience, the problem is creative ennui: That is to say, not being sufficiently enthusiastic about your project. Passion is perhaps the most important factor when it comes to being creative. Note that this is not necessarily the same thing as motivation in general - for example writing in the hopes of a certain rewarding outcome, or simply "wanting to write." Telling the story has to feel personally important to you. Because of this, mental states such as stress, worry, poor confidence, anxiety, emotional weariness and depressive moods can decrease ones ability to create. It typically strikes once writing starts to feel like a difficult and tedious chore rather than a genuinely stimulating activity, or/and one is going through a rough time. Sometimes, sheer inspiration can shock me out of it, though often at the cost of me abandoning whatever I tried to work on before. Fun fact: There is an opposite to writer's block, called hypergraphia. People who have it basically feel compelled to write. (From what I understand, it's less awesome than is sounds. A writer friend of mine termed it: "Writer's Diarrhea.") Research has suggested that there is a correlation between writer's block and depression, and correspondingly there is a correlation between hypergraphia and mania. Since hypergraphia sufferers don't necessarily write anything particularly meaningful or creative, it may actually be that the act of writing itself is somehow tied to mood. All that said, I suspect mileage may vary: Some creators are probably less dependent on mood than others.
My block is due to fear. Fear of bad writing. Fear of being ridiculous. Fear of people laughing in my face, insulting me. Yes, I am a person unfortunately depressed ...
You are right. I decided not to laugh at anyone anymore, to the people I know, that I write. Anonymity is better.
You could try writing a comedy. That way, if you do write something rediculous by accident, the reader will laugh and think you have a great imagination. If you can put a smile on the reader's face, they'll like your work. The path to good writing is stuffed full of bad writing. You can always revisit it later and fix it. Beta readers will point you in the right direction when you can't see the wood for the trees (which happens to me all the time).
