Working Through Writer's Block & The Irony of this Title

Writer’s block. No matter the level of expertise, we’ve all been through it. As soon as an author finishes one book, they are soon faced with the blank page and the dreadful blinking curser again, wondering what words are and if they still exist. It’s a never-ending cycle that we happily choose to suffer through. Even as I’m writing this blog post, I’m stumbling over words, hitting that ‘delete’ button, and pausing to scroll through my phone until the right phrase moves the next sentence along (if that previous sentence still exists). A form of fear typically stands in our way, whether that be dealing with our inner critic, not feeling like we obtain enough knowledge on the subject, or the perfect song isn’t playing from our Spotify (and how can we possibly move forward with this battle scene if the song just isn’t hitting the right tempo?!). We feel stuck, we feel overwhelmed, and we feel defeated, even if we only just accomplished writing one sentence within our allotted writing time.

In my younger writing years, I wasn’t one to word dump. If it didn’t come to me naturally, I just didn’t write. But, also, it was unusual for me to struggle with writer’s block back then (and oh, how I wish I still had that level of confidence). It wouldn’t be until college and after my first intensive writing workshops where the criticisms start to set in, and my self-esteem began to crumble. My inner editor became a necessity to my writing process, and I wouldn’t be able to write more than a couple of paragraphs before I would go in and start obsessing over the lines that I had written, thus slowing my writing speed and dwindling the progress for a completed book.

However, after recently introducing word dumping to my writing routine, my confidence found a new footing along with my writing speed increasing to a more realistic pace. Word dumping tends to quiet my mind from the buzzing fear and allows me to focus and think--sometimes putting me in a so-called trance. There's granting of grace here when I decide to eliminate the pressure and provide myself with the space to think aloud. There is no judgment from others, and the fear associated, eases.

But what is word dumping and how does it work?

Word dumping gifts the writer the freedom to just create without any form of pressure. You can ask the questions, verbalize all the thoughts related to the subject, and feel surer on how knowledgeable you truly are on the subject (because you really are THAT brilliant). It also can present how much you need to learn on the subject as well as indicate how much you need to cut. Outlining can be formed here, and if you’re a researcher (or need to research), you can provide yourself with guided questions to look up through whatever mode of research you need to conduct.

The process is to grab your preferred writing method—whether that be a blank piece of paper, word document, or a napkin—and set a timer for however many minutes you can concentrate for, such as 15 to 30 minutes of uninterrupted thinking time (less if you like to work in bursts). Then write the first things that come to mind—related or unrelated to the project.

You may feel like you have nothing to say, and it’s completely natural to draw a blank, but whatever thought that does come to mind, jot it down. Even if you realized that you needed to pee, and it never came to mind until you started the timer, jot it down. It’s the motion of writing that will start to guide your thinking into the direction of what you want, and if the timer goes out and you still haven’t conjured up a project-related thought, at least you can set another timer (after your well-deserved break) and begin thinking again. The thoughts don’t have to carry an intelligent finesse and be pure gold that will win you the Nobel Peace Prize, and it doesn’t need to make sense to anybody else. They’re your thoughts and your creation that isn’t going to be shared to the public eye. You can even doodle in the middle of the page if you want, as long as you stay focused on the task at hand, you’re actively working toward your goal.

Though as helpful as word dumping can be, sometimes it isn’t the cure all. There are moments in our lives that can halt our creativity and stump our drive to write, and when we’re not physically or mentally well, it’s okay to not force the words. Writers don’t have to write every day to be considered a real writer, and you don’t have to write a certain number of words to be considered a real writer. When I was advising warning and probation students at a university, a good chunk of our conversations were knowing when to take care of ourselves while we work toward good academic standing. The reason students land in academic jeopardy is usually something to do with the interference of an outside source, and not only were they falling behind in classes, their mental health would fall too. And a lot of those students struggled to recognize it, and some wouldn't recognize the core issue until after they were let go from the school.

Yes, we can discuss all the steps into forming the perfect routine, ensuring that we converse with our support system, and set all the reminders on our phone about due dates, but if our head isn’t in it, then it’s going to be harder to achieve the success that we want. The tips and tricks we can apply to our daily lives won't serve a purpose until we address the major obstacle(s) standing in our way, which can include activities like word dumping.

Lazy isn’t a real word, just a societal concept derived to keep its occupants busy, and it has become a toxic characteristic that we've let embody into our beings. Daydreaming, reading, brainstorming, and sleeping are all part of the creative process. Even taking serious care of our physical health can make a difference in the health of our brains. It keeps the creative well full, and it’s difficult to keep the well alive and active if its source is straining to keep up.

So, yes, word dumping is fantastic for igniting our writing engines and strengthening our confidence with our projects, but the act of self care will always be the crucial step for our crafts to thrive. We need your story, and the world needs to hear your voice, your message. Take care of yourselves and your art will grow and flourish.