Writer's Block, Named

Judey Kalchik recently launched a series that tackles writer's block. I'm obsessed with all of Judey's articles on anything related to writing, work, or motivation. This series is no different.

The first article in the series goes over the idea that writer's block is an experience unique to writers. I don't want to give too much away (Judey puts it better than I ever could) - so just go read the article. You'll be happy you did.

It was this first piece in Judey's series that got me thinking about the stories I had abandoned to writer's block in the past - even stories I really wanted to finish. When I started to think about Judey's insight that only writers deal with writer's block, there was a bit of a domino-lightbulb-effect.

Suddenly it occurred to me: this is a platform full of writers (duh.)

Aka: a platform full of people who have dealt with this exact unique experience. In fact, Vocal even has a community dedicated to this part of the writing process... Critique!

When I looked, the Critique community boasted less than 3,000 stories and fewer than 1,000 creators.

Wait... that can't be right?

I realized, I hadn't posted to the Critique community, either.

I decided to throw one of the pieces I'd abandoned to writer's block in the ring, to see if maybe some feedback/suggestions might help me break through.

So far, the feedback I've received has been incredibly helpful! Shouts out to Hannah Moore and Caroline Craven!

I'm hoping that with Judey's new series on writer's block, more people will feel comfortable submitting to the "Critique" community too.

Have you submitted to the Critique community before? If so, let me know how it went in the comments below!

Now back to Judey's prompt.

In the second post in Judey's series, she asks her readers to "Name their writer's block."

She tells us to...

1. Describe It

2. Talk to It

3. End with the Name

In doing so, I realized that my writer's block can sometimes be a friend in disguise, if I let it.

Responding to "What's It's Name?"

Some days, you appear to me like a brick wall to be cracked. A dam I tell myself shouldn't be there, preventing me from reaching the flow of creativity. If I stare at the wall hard enough, I can break through it. Sometimes I find sweet water on the other side, sometimes cracked earth. Those are the days, I hear you loud and clear: there is no getting water from a stone. You re-build yourself taller.

When you tell me this, I know I must relinquish. You change shape from something stubborn and immovable to something older and wiser than me. The wall becomes a whisper, "Go live a little. Then come back."

Sometimes it says, "Go listen to someone."

"Get lost."

"You've given me nothing to give back to you."

"Stop trying to go forward when you need to go back first."

The whisper becomes a muse, hovering above me, waiting to discover what will bring us both release. Sometimes it demands a few days away from the keyboard, immersed in what I love to write about: people, life, the strange texture that is living. Other days, the muse demands editing - I misunderstood her somewhere; I must go back and correct myself before I'm allowed to continue.

When I ignore her, she becomes desperate. Sometimes that desperation reverses it all; that's when she breaks through the other side, when she alchemizes once again into creative flow.

You disguise yourself as writer's block, and I fall for it every time. I forget your name is Muse, although you like to hide.

Thank you for this prompt, Judey!

I'm hoping that these two exercises combined - Judey's prompt and participating in the Critique community - will help me get through some previous drafts, and get back into the swing of writing on Vocal.

How do you get back into the swing of writing?

Thank you for reading! - sleepy drafts.