Got Writer's Block? Just Eat that Frog.

Many writers believe they suffer from writer's block, an illness that supposedly renders them incapable of writing anything worthwhile for a time. They just can't think of anything to write or how to intelligently write what thoughts they do have.

Though a common complaint, I'm not sure I accept it. I mean if you don't have anything that you have to write or want to write at the moment, then you just don't have anything to write--so don't write. That doesn't necessarily mean you have writer's block, though. Bloggers seem to wrestle with this a good bit; again, unless you are under a deadline and must write something for publication, if nothing is firing your creativity, then forget about it until something does motivate you to write.

Now...if you have an article due tomorrow or your book manuscript has to be completed in the next few days or your college term paper was due yesterday and you still want to pass the course...and you sit down to write, stressing that your deadline is almost here but you can't really think of anything significant to write on...then, maybe, writer's block has hit you.

I am familiar with that situation, but, honestly, if you've got to write something by a certain time, then you've got to write it by a certain time. Presumably by now, you have a solid idea of what your article, book, or term paper is supposed to be on. Thus, just get going. Just start writing, from beginning to end, putting in everything you have to work with. Easier said than done, right?

Not really. I honestly think that in those situations, you're not suffering from writer's block; you're suffering from laziness and procrastination. I've struggled with that myself--I can tell you it's not writer's block. It's procrastination. If you know what your topic is about, then you have something tangible to work with. Work with it.

Writer's block? I'm not sure it really exists. I think it's an excuse for one of two things: either you just don't have anything worthwhile to say (and thus shouldn't) or you're just being lazy (and should just get going).

So, if you've got nothing to say, don't worry about it. Go outside and take a walk or go to the pub and drink some wine. Live life. You'll have interesting topics come to you eventually. But if you have to meet your deadline tomorrow and you're having difficulty getting started, don't blame that on writer's block--by now you ought to at least know what your topic is, and that's a huge step forward. Acknowledge that you're probably being lazy and get going. You'll be glad you did.

And if you need some help getting motivated even if you insist you have writer's block (and I argue that you don't), then check out these ideas from a few of my favorite writers, Brian Tracy, Tim Ferriss, and Robert Ringer.

Tracy:

"Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.

Your 'frog' is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don't do something about it. It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and results at the moment....

This is another way of saying that if you have two important tasks before you, start with the biggest, hardest, and most important task first. Discipline yourself to begin immediately and then to persist until the task is complete before you go on to something else....

The key to reaching high levels of performance and productivity is to develop the lifelong habit of tackling your major task first thing each morning. You must develop the routine of 'eating your frog' before you do anything else and without taking too much time to think about it." Source: Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

Ferriss:

"Limit tasks to the important to shorten work time (80/20). Shorten work time to limit tasks to the important (Parkinson's Law)."

"Identify the few critical tasks that contribute most to income and schedule them with very short and clear deadlines."

"You should have, at most, two primary goals or tasks per day. Do them separately from start to finish without distraction. " Source: The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss

Ringer:

"What separates professional writers from amateurs is that they take action and start putting words on the computer regardless of whether or not they are motivated. In my experience, after I force myself to start writing, a seamless transition takes place and I become motivated.

When you force yourself to write, it stimulates your brain and body cells and gets your creative juices flowing. And that, in turn, revs up your motivation. It's the only way I know to combat procrastination. Writing is not about the future. Writing is about putting your hands on the keyboard now." Source: Wall-Sign Wisdom by Robert Ringer

Conclusion:

If you've got to finish writing a piece in order to meet your impending deadline, then just get on it. Eat the frog, as nasty as it is--pick it up, put it in your mouth, chew it up, swallow it, and then move on. I'm learning to do that. Also, drinking caffeinated tea and listening to music help me to eat my frogs a little quicker and smoother.

Writer's block? Think Nancy Reagan and Nike--just say no and just do it. Goodnight.

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