Is writer's block a thing that exists?

Question

If not, how do you explain both the phenomenon of being unable to write and the phenomenon of people claiming that they've been taken over by the spirit of writer's block and are thus unable to write? I have no strong opinion either way (I've never experienced such an episode, and I've been writing for fourish years now so you'd think I was due for one, but who knows, maybe I'm special, n=1 is not going to get anything published) and was interested in other people's perspective on the issue.

Anonymous · Answer

It's not spirit but it's tough to explain. I've been plagued by writers block for a while, but other things cause problems as well such as thinking your story's rubbish and not good enough. What I've found though helps get rid of Writers block is instead of writing every day I wait until ideas come into my head about a certain factor of my novel, which I've found more useful then when I tried everyday to write 3 or 4 pages it really made me struggle but it's different for everyone.

Shawna · Answer

Writers block is a little different for each person. Essentially, it is the inability to write. This could be a lack of ideas or inability to transpose anything you think of or just a lack of motivation. Mine always feels like I have the idea just on the edge of my mind and I just can't figure it out. Kind of like not being able to find that word you want to use, you know exactly what it is but you just can't get it off your tongue. Since you haven't experienced this block, it would be hard to imagine. It is not a pleasant experience. It happens more as you write more and it sucks.

MsBittner · Answer

I don't believe it exists. I've been writing for decades, and there are days when it's really, really hard, but there has never been a day when I could not write. (Okay, we'll rule out the days I had surgery.)

I wrote an essay about it, posted with my permission on a fellow writer's blog: http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-view-on-writers-block.html

Skylar · Answer

It isn't a spirit, it's just a sudden lack of ideas. I'm in a "writer's block" now. You ran out of ideas, you can't think of more, you have absolutely no inspiration to write and work on your story. You must be very lucky to never have had a writer's block, it's frustrating and extremely annoying.

Cogito · Answer

It's not a 'spirit' or anything like that.
All it means is that some writers - most writers - occasionally go through a period of time, which can be days, weeks, months or even years, when they simply don't feel inspired to write, can't seem to get into that creative frame of mind, can't seem able to get their ideas onto a page - that sort of thing.
Some writers don't get times like that.  
But it doesn't mean you're special - or anything.

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Is writer's block a thing that exists?

5 Answers