Beat the Block

⋙ Why this newsletter exists in 20 memes ⋘

For over thirty years I’ve experienced some form of what I call “conditional writing”. It started in school (not a coincidence) with homework. I consider myself an expert at thinking about writing instead of writing. Because of that expertise, though, I’ve also become an expert at creating unconditional writing.

⋙ Writer's Block Exists—But Why?

⋙ Your experience has meaning ⋘

Have you ever had someone deny what you experienced firsthand? Do you recognize this? It doesn’t feel good, and it doesn’t even feel bad in a useful way. Don’t worry, though, I won’t deny your experience. That being said we do cause the conditions to write or not write. But, just because we are ultimately the cause of those conditions, that doesn’t mean we understand how we are creating those conditions, nor do we know how to stop.

⋙ Sometimes writing feels impossible ⋘

Writing can feel difficult, even impossible—it's not as simple as just sitting down and doing it. I call this the impossibility of writing. It is the most extreme version of conditional writing, and it is an illusion. And yet, one does not simply dispel the illusion with wishful thinking. There’s work to be done.

⋙ Writers are not plumbers ⋘

Sigh. Have you heard this before, “Plumber’s don’t get plumber’s block?” I know these people mean well, bless them. What they're trying to say is, “Real writers do the work. Just like any other professional they show up. They find the courage, or the willpower.” Insert some other made up word that describes a complex mental skill you apparently lack. You want to know something? Courage and willpower are just as illusory as “writer’s block.” This kind of appeal to gumption and stick-to-itiveness doesn’t tell you jack about how to write.

⋙ There are many forms of conditional writing⋘

Some people can’t write in a noisy cafe. Others can’t write unless they are in a noisy cafe. For every condition under which a writer can’t write, someone has the exact opposite condition.

• Outline—no outline

• Music—no music

• Fiction—non-fiction

And most people fix these problems by avoiding those conditions. For simple, avoidable conditions, this is not a problem. When the condition is writing itself, however, that’s a tricky situation.

⋙ We veer off course when we try to fix the problem ⋘

Trying to fix writer’s block is a form of avoidance. This is what all those smarmy, dismissive writers have been trying to tell us. Because we perceive a problem, we veer onto the offramp in search of a solution. But the solution was to keep driving.

⋙ Why Common Advice Fails

⋙ Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Write something. ⋘

Don’t worry, this isn’t my only point I want to make. Writing is important, but it’s not the whole enchilada. Because of course, you’re not just trying to write anything. You’re trying to write something very specific, and you see that task as a condition under which you cannot write.

⋙ Do not get medical advice from a writer ⋘

Telling a blocked writer to “just start writing” is like telling someone with depression to "just be happy" or to “get up and do something.” Writing does help. I cannot deny. Just like getting up and doing something can help people with depression feel a little bit better. But there’s something more at work that keeps the writer stuck.

⋙ Vague platitudes sound cool and make good dialogue ⋘

Think about how stupid Yoda really is. It sounds very Zen to say, “Do or not do.” But what does that tell anyone? Go talk to a real life meditation master and they won’t tell you vague, useless instructions. They will listen to your experience, and give actual helpful advice because they know how the mind works. Most writers do not. And, let’s be honest, Yoda is just coasting on vibes.

⋙ Most writers learn through grit and intuition ⋘

Many professional writers don't understand conditional writing, so their advice is often unhelpful and sometimes even hurtful. They probably experienced difficulties, but they powered through it with what they might call “grit”. Do they know how they powered through the discomfort? Can they teach anyone else? Often, no.

⋙ The Real Problem: Cognitive Overload

⋙ Finally, the main villain is revealed! ⋘

Writing at a level higher than your current skill is overwhelming. It’s like trying to play level 99 in a video game when you’re still learning basic controls. Or in fancier terms, it’s like trying to assemble a croquembouche when you don’t even know how to mix choux or bake profiteroles. You have read many books and have a good, clear understanding of what makes a fascinating story. But that’s like tasting the sauce versus knowing how to make it.

⋙ Let’s focus on the real problem ⋘

The term “writer’s block” doesn’t tell us what the problem is. This is why I prefer to say conditional writing. Now, I can’t guarantee that cognitive overload is the root cause of all conditional writing, but I know it contributes a lot. This is how it happens. We experience conditional writing because we are avoiding discomfort. Where does that discomfort come from? Trying to do more than you’re capable of doing—just like trying to power lift more weight than your muscles can handle. While there’s a level of discomfort that creates challenge and growth, too much discomfort leads to pain and avoidance.

⋙ Knowledge about writing isn’t practical knowledge ⋘

Excessive knowledge about writing disrupts writing itself. Writing is a performance art built from individual skills learned through practice. Knowledge about writing can be used to guide this practice. It can be used as a goal that constrains your writing, but knowledge does not automatically translate into better performance. In fact, it might derail your flow state by making the task too complex.

⋙ Don’t let pretty knowledge distract you from building skill ⋘

Learning about writing will distract you from the practice of writing, especially if it leads to conditional writing. It leads to an insidious runaway feedback loop. The more you chase knowledge, the less time you have to practice the skill. We don’t want to eschew knowledge completely—knowledge can guide our skill building—but it’s very easy to be lured away from writing for far too long.

⋙ Don’t let writing become a spectator sport ⋘

Ah the sweet embrace of your favorite book on writing. (I’m fond of Writing Without Teachers, by Peter Elbow, and George Gopen’s, Expectations.) Unfortunately, too much advice can steal the joy of writing. Absorbing too much writing advice can feel a bit like trying to hit a golf ball while your coach runs through a litany of corrections to your posture and movement. Head up! Shoulders down. Inhale! Relax.

⋙ Distractions will murder your writing streak ⋘

What distracts you from writing? Here’s what happens to me. First I jump on YouTube to watch my favorite writing podcasts. Then what happens? The algorithm gives me something political to watch. Then I feel bad if not outright angry, and the algorithm seems to know at that moment I want something to soothe the negative feeling it just walked me into. That’s how I end up watching a 3-hour compilation of Robot Chicken. But even if I stayed on task, consuming advice easily becomes an excuse for not writing. Especially when we’re looking for a solution to writer’s block.

⋙ The Way Out: Stop Looking for a Solution

⋙ The search for a solution is part of the problem⋘

Much of writer’s block disappears when you stop treating it as a problem to solve. I know that seems suspicious. It’s not as easy as saying, “stop it!” If you experience some form of conditional writing, and you want to dispel it, you have to find a way to write so you can examine the experience and figure out why you’re not enjoying writing.

⋙ Fixing writer’s block is a trap ⋘

When we follow our love of writing, we filter the world into things that will satisfy our desire to write, and things that will thwart our desire. Everything else is irrelevant. Thus we see the illusion of the impossibility of writing as a problem to solve. And this leads us to make a choice.

• Do we write?

• Do we fix the thing stopping us from writing?

It seems like a silly choice, but the debate usually happens unconsciously. And writers often pick the wrong button—they try to "fix" their writing instead of just doing the thing.

⋙ Changing your mind is hard work ⋘

You feel blocked. But, even if it’s an illusion, changing your mind isn’t easy. It takes self-reflection, mindfulness, and maybe even a bit of meditation. Then you can start to see what is really disrupting your writing, the cognitive overload or perhaps some other cause which makes the experience of writing suck.

⋙ Stop waiting for conditions to change ⋘

Inspiration is another illusion. Feeling inspired just means that conditions have changed and you now feel like writing. What is it going to be—wait for conditions to change, or change the conditions yourself?

What’s the real solution, then? One solution is to do the exercises in my newsletter. What? Did you think I was just making a fun stack of memes? No, my friend, I’m here to create the conditions for your writing streak. Each week I send out a set of seven daily exercises “streak savers” designed to practice an adaptable skill without cognitive overload. Subscribe, and you’ll be creating the conditions to build your skill as a writer.