Writer’s Block Part 2 – Finding Relief

After dealing with the symptoms and causes of writer’s block, writing a screenplay can be a stressful situation so why add this foe of all writers into the mix. In today’s blog, I’ll dive into some resolutions to help deal with this plague.

Dealing with writer’s block can be a major stressor to any screenwriter. Sometimes, all you need is a changeup or some personal time to get back into the creative flow. When I was writing my pilot, I found myself staring at a blank computer screen for moments at a time. I would back away from the screen and watch some Korean variety shows to get back in the fold.

In that spirit, I’ll give you some tips on breaking out of your writer’s block.

Research

If you find yourself questioning some of your writing decisions (characters, settings, actions), research can a huge aid in breaking through writer’s block. Looking up culture aspects of a character’s background or real places for your fictional world can great in pushing through and developing your screenplay. During the writing process for my pilot, I spent half of my time reading books and looking up pages and forums online to get a better breadth of my characters’ various backgrounds.

Change of scenery

Any writer who’s been handcuffed to their computer or notebook all day will tell you that changing your environment will open up your creative world. This doesn’t necessarily mean taking a walk outside. You can go grocery shopping, meeting friends for lunch, seeing the afternoon matinee, etc. Any chance to be out and about in the world is a great opportunity to get inspiration. My favorite thing to do is going to a shopping center or grocery store and observe people as I run my errands.

Reading outside of your medium

Screenwriting is amazing, but sometimes, you can get into a little rut with the format as your creative well begins to run dry. Reading outside of your screenwriting territory is crucial in keeping the creativity flowing. Find a nice book. magazine, or blog site to get some inspiration for your characters, plots, settings, etc. My usual reading selection goes between historical fiction, mystery, graphic novels, and memoirs. I can always find inspiration in those mediums.

Tap into other creative outlets

Besides reading outside of the medium, you use other creative outlets to inform your script and its world. Being an artist allows you to be a multifaceted individual so embrace it. Anyone who is thinking about or in the thick of screenwriting usually has a background in some other forms of writing. But there’s also other forms of art that can get those creative juice going. Before becoming an aspiring screenwriter, I got my Bachelor’s degree in animation along with having a background in every aspect of the fine arts.

Try other activities

A piece of advice is not all your activities have to be creative-focused. Sometimes, you have to let your mind go blank and enjoy some mindless fun. After a day of writing, you need to unwind in some way. Video games, film, television, etc. Just embrace it all. I spend my free time going between video gaming, listening to music or catching up on my favorite TV series and podcasts online.

When there seems to be no relief for writer’s block, a breakthrough happens, and the words begin to flow from your fingertips to the computer screen or notebook.

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Hopefully, reading this post will help in getting out of the fog known as writer’s block. But this isn’t the end of the conversation, you can leave comments below and discuss this even more with your fellow screenwriters along with myself.

Come back next week for more on creating the full screenwriting experience.

Writer’s Block Part 1 – Symptoms and Causes of Creative Restriction

After speaking on the importance of scenes and actions in crafting a screenplay, I’ll speak on a writer’s worst enemy – the dreaded writer’s block. Today’s blog will focus on the symptoms and causes of this creative plague. Writer’s block can lead to a depressive state in your writing process.

According to the website Mental Health Daily,

The phenomenon was first documented in 1947 by Edmund Bergler, a psychoanalyst… Anyone can end up with writer’s block, even talented writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald have been noted to struggle with this condition. The condition was researched throughout the 1970s and 1980s and specifically focused on the process and post-process theories of composition.

Like any form of writing, screenwriting is no exception as mental blocks can come at the most inopportune moments. When I originally wrote my pilot, I was writing the last two acts for my screenwriting class when I decided to push myself due to outside obligations. I couldn’t concentrate as my mind raced at top speed.  In short, I ended writing those acts at 2 AM after a crazy concert. My creative juices were flowing, and I had to capture them before sleep and fatigue settled in.

In that spirit, I’ll break down some of the warning signs and causes of writer’s block.

Symptoms

Brain fog – This dreaded cohort of writer’s block always appears when you in the midst of creating your latest masterpiece. You feel like your brain is working against you as your concentration and productivity slow down to a screeching halt amongst a cloudy atmosphere. It can lead to a major delay in your writing process.

Lack of focus – As either an offset of brain fog or a casualty of distraction, focusing on a story can be a daunting task as outside forces seem to constantly vie for your attention. A wandering mind can take your attention away from your passion for writing.

Lack of inspiration – Have you ever been in the midst of or starting to writing your screenplay, and found yourself not feeling or lacking direction in your work? Of course, we all have. Sometimes, you find yourself writing something that just doesn’t speak to your soul and heart. That can be a major dilemma, especially when dealing with a tight deadline.

Frustration – Another writer’s block cohort popping up when writing shouldn’t a stress but a labor of love. Often times this comes up when you need to write but can’t put words to pen or computer screen. You end up in this negative cycle of doubt and creative restriction.

Causes

Over analyzing and over thinking – As a creative, your work becomes a child of your writing process, but sometimes, a writer’s worst enemies – self-doubt and fear – can creep up and cause you to rethink everything you’ve written. You begin comparing your screenplay to that of your peers or industry veterans and scrutinizing every single word you have on the page or screen.

Anxiety – Again, a writer’s worst enemies – self-doubt and fear – can lead to some very intense moments as you begin looking over your work. Breathing gets shallow, mind races and heart palpitations set in as this silent foe begins overwhelming all your senses and body. You feel completely out-of-control and unable to write.

Emotional fatigue – Life outside of writing can be draining – physically, mentally and emotionally – leading to a lack of creativity and mental blocks. The latter comes when your words lack the emotional fortitude your character needs. The lack of connection and a slow mental process can leave you filling unfulfilled and unmotivated.

Lack of motivation – Once in the thick of emotional fatigue, your determination and ambition seem to drift to the wayside as lethargy and low mental fortitude set in. Being unmotivated can the biggest mountain to climb as when it comes to writing a screenplay. An already daunting task can become almost impossible.

Stress – This negative force can be a major hindrance in the writing process. Sometimes, stress can go beyond the thinking process and impede on complex cognitive functions like writing a screenplay. Outside forces like daily life, family problems or relationships can render the idea of screenwriting as more of an overwhelming task than a creative outlet.

Even though the condition has been studied, it has become a controversial subject as many individuals, including writers, have begun to question the validity of writer’s block in recent years. I’ll just say that writing no matter the medium can be a huge undertaking especially in a short amount of time, but I’ll leave that debate up to you – the audience.

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In reading this post, I hope you won’t feel alone in the battle against writer’s block. But this isn’t the end of the conversation, you can leave comments below and discuss this even more with your fellow screenwriters along with myself.

Come back later this week to read about some cures for writer’s block.