It comes for us all.  We the wordsmiths, the builders of books, the scribes of journals the wielders of words (sounds cool.). It gets us no matter how strong our writing ritual is or how powerful our collections of text and literature.  It is Writers’ Block and it stops us in our tracks.

However, it is not some eldritch demon that we cannot defend against.  It is not a beast that cannot be battled.  Writers’ Block is to writers what “the Wall” is to runners.  It is the moment or period of time when you sit at the keyboard or notebook and nothing comes out.  You cannot write.  You cannot find the right words, deleting and crumbling up everything you’ve put to screen and paper today.  Or you may not even find any words, you may be haunted by the mocking blank sheet in front of you.

Even with that being said, there are myths of Writers’ block.  Ancient man feared the night, thought leeches cured everything and was certain of a person’s witchiness if they were too tall, too short or had red hair, etc.  Big scary things are meant to be dispelled.

Myth – Writers’ Block is unavoidable.  TRUTH – There are countless writers, authors, journalists, novelists, bloggers, etc. who write and never experience the block.  Given either their creative make-up or thru practice, they are always flowing with ideas.

Myth – Writers’ Block is very serious and damaging.  TRUTH – Cancer, unemployment and other such topics are “serious and damaging.” Writers’ Block is a pain, an inconvenience and annoying but we’re not going to empower it as our boogeyman.

Myth – A writer cannot tap into writing at whim.   TRUTH – Writers the world over, either through creative makeup or thru practice and environment, can write at the drop of a hat.  Many such writers have a system (e.g. Starbucks, the beach, classical music, coffee) that when they put it together automatically allows them to flow.

Myth – Writers’ Block cannot be cured, it must go away with time.  TRUTH – No.  Having a writing system in hand allows creatives to put themselves in their environment and knock the block out.  It isn’t a matter of time but a matter of having the right antidote for a simple problem.