According to the dictionary, writers block is usually a temporary psychological inability to begin or continue work on a piece of writing.

I've personally never had writers block, but I know several people who have.

I just don't understand how it's possible for someone to get writers block.

Ideas are all around us - on television...on the radio... in the newspaper...at the park...driving in our cars...in our triumphs... in our tragedies...etc., etc., etc.

Ideas are everywhere.

All you have to do is keep your mind open and be receptive to those ideas.

Please don't think I'm making light of writers block, I'm not.

I'm just trying to figure out how it's possible for someone to have it, that's all.

I know it's a temporary, psychological issue.

Can someone help me understand how writers get it?

Have any of you ever had writers block?

How did you overcome it?

What are your thoughts about writers block?

Dale King:welcome2:

My own experiences with writers block are correlated to a lack of interest. For example I have experienced writers block in college when assigned writing that was not of interest. Motivation can be a factor in my opinion, but that applies to just about anything.

My college writing professor told us not to wait to be inspired to write, but to write anyway. If you always waited for inspiration very little would ever get written. I know that doesn't have anything to do with writers block but it does lend to always trying to keep the creative part of the brain primed and working, so when inspiration does come you're ready for it.

I think for some, writers block doesn't have anything to do with the availability of ideas but the availability of ideas that one has enough interest in to put pen to paper and/or to be able to adequately put down good words on that topic. There is plenty to say but sometimes we feel as if we've said it all. There are plenty of good ideas but no passion behind them when it comes time to write.

Most of all, I think writers block is simply a bit of creative burnout. Most people, when they write, they want to give something a unique perspective. If they can't then they are effectively creatively blocked from writing.

Must my $0.02.

I think that a writers block can stem from various reasons. OF course, motivation is one of them, an important condition. Without motivation to write something, you're nowhere.
Furthermore, I think that your expectations are an essential part. If you expect to much of yourself and are unable to deliver on that expectation, it may result in a writers block...

I've had writers block and it stems from the fact that it's hard to get all of my ideas in an organized and logical fashion. I know what the objective of the article I have to write, but where to start is a different story... I guess with experience it helps to find tips and tricks to overcome. I found that writing an outline and brainstorming a bunch of ideas together helps put a logical sense to it all.

writers block - for me - is more of an absolute fear of a blank or unoriginal page

There are many many times i find myself not in a creative mindset and i have to work on techniques that i know get me thinking

it's hard! some people just have the gift of ideas, i guess.

glad to hear you're one of them

I've experienced writers' block before too. I think it helps when you're writing about a subject you are passionate about.

it's true, if the topic doesn't interest you'll end up with nothing to write. usually i find it hard to start a topic. one more thing, when i write i like my surrounding to be very quiet, no music or any sound at all. just the sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard:), or else i'll have a writers block

Dale I envy you since I have had writer's block from several of the reasons mentioned above. I think a lack of focus for me is probably the biggest reason I may be blocked over a particular piece of writing.

St0n3y nailed the solution though which is not to wait for inspiration, but just to write. The inspiration will come once you're writing. I've seen the advice several times before and it's good.

I've had days where I needed to get something written and the last thing I wanted to do was write. I just wrote anyway and in the beginning the words weren't all that inspired, but eventually they became so. And even those uninspriing words were able to generate ideas for later writing.

I feel hard to start a topic too. But after it's simple to write on the topic. All current events could be considered from different points of view.

When I was in High School mt teachers would always give us assignments on essay writing.

During those times, I always had a hard time writing. I can't seem to concentrate on one particular topic. It usually took me a lot of time before I can actually right a story.

I guess my lack of interests on those topics prevented me from writing those essays easily.

Stoney you really nailed it - just start writing. Forget logic, grammar and everything else. Get something down on the page/screen. Don't edit as you go - so tempting, but disruptive just get the bones of the ideas out. It gives you a basis for editing, organising ideas etc. In my previous life I wrote a lot of large grants (25+ pages dense type, 0.5 margins). I always started with an outline. The outline and the final product were usually poles apart but it got me going.

For me the enormity of general topics is daunting. Tell me to write 15,000 words on the flight characteristics of the lesser house sparrow. No problem, it would take me a while but I would not be blocked. Write generally about, say sports. Three days later of dithering I've got a really bad paragraph and no idea where to go.

Decide what you want to write about, decide your angle, write short bullet plan, or headings and then fill in the gaps. Easy, I do it every day.

This is a great post to help identify what the issues are. I like what ppl have said about JUST WRITE. It's really that simple and I must do that now. I'm glad to have found this thread!

Sometimes I skip the first paragragh to get myself started and then go back and do the intro paragraph. I find the first paragraph the most challenging.

Definitely skipping the intro can help. the great thing about writing is you can always go back and change it so there is no reason just to start putting words (no matter how bad) to paper (or screen!)

My problem is that I have great ideas all the time... only I'm not near a computer, and by the time I get in front of the monitor, staring at that expanse of white screen, all the best ideas seem to have faded away.

In fact, some of my best ideas occur to me as I'm driving to and from Ye Olde Day Jobbe (a 45-minute commute each way). Unfortunately, it's hard to type and drive at the same time...

So recently I got myself one of those mini digital voice recorders, and now I just talk my way through whatever's on my mind while I'm driving. Stream of consciousness stuff sometimes, other times it's actual specific article ideas, still others its just a cool turn of phrase that occurs to me that I think I'd like to use in an article (which I hope will spark a whole article idea). Occasionally, I'm finding I have most of the article "written" by the time I get home -- I just have to transcribe and tidy up the text a bit and I'm good to go.

I now carry that little recorder with me everywhere, because -- as Dale pointed out -- ideas are lurking everywhere. In the checkout line at a supermarket, on a billboard beside the highway, an overheard conversation at a restaurant, something you notice while shopping... ideas are literally everywhere.

I've got a couple of articles due to some folks over the next week or two -- but now I also have a couple of hours' worth of ideas waiting on that recorder, ready for me to transcribe, clean up, expand and use them. This recorder is well on its way to becoming my new best buddy. :)

I think this may be the start of a beautiful friendship... ;)

--Torka

I used to have one of those recorders but never could get past the awkward stage of "talking to myself". I often had my best ideas at night in bed and my wife would wonder who I'm talking to!

The other issue was having to carry another bulky item in my pocket (I don't carry a man-purse!) which, with my cell phone, business cards and keys, made for one too many items. Now if the cellphone had a recorder in it.... hmmm...

Yeah, that's what we need -- a multi-function device! :)

As it is, this baby's not all that bulky -- about the size of an iPod nano, only a little thicker. All digital, no tapes. Pretty cool, IMO.

--Torka (and yes, I do carry a purse... )

I have a stored document of "article ideas." They usually pretty much write themselves- I just have to keep up and correct the spelling.

However, that's the stuff I want to write about.

Paid gigs can make me absolutely miserable because it's easy to write what I think... it's not so easy to write what someone else thinks, especially when they don't really know.

It's no fun trying to drag copy ideas out of someone who says, well, it's just desklamps.

What's cool about the desklamps?

I dunno.

What's different about these lamps than all the other ones?

These are um... red.

Who uses these desklamps?

The people who buy them...

The worst blockage I ever had was from someone who wanted me to write to keyword percentages- I tried but it just didn't work. It came out really, really awkward and clunky and I was embarrassed to send it to the client, even though they probably loved it.

When short on ideas, I just browse some forums, newsgroups, industry websites, blogs, etc and ideas abound. Although everything's pretty much been covered in most industries, you can always give it a fresh approach.

When blocked for actual writing, I start asking and answering questions- who, what, when, where, why, etc.

I've had a few minor bouts with writer's block. I overcame it with some good Irish Breakfast Tea and a long walk.

I think almost everyone deals with writer's block from time to time for a variety of reasons. One thing that almost always works for me is music. For some reason music has the ability to inspire me.