Seth Godin often reminds writers that plumbers don’t get plumber’s block. Plumbers are craftsmen who have mastered their craft and just roll up their sleeves and do the work when called on. What he means is that while it’s true writer’s are creatives, they are craftsmen first and foremost. Writing is rolling up your sleeves and practicing the craft of writing. Writers who use the excuse of writer’s block may do so for a number of reasons, but none of them is as complicated or mysterious as the phenomenon sounds.
Sometimes writers struggle to get started because they are unsure if they have anything important to say. But that’s hardly ever the case. We have all had life experiences. We all know something. As Flannery O’Connor notes, “anyone who survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of his or her life.”
In some cases, writers may struggle to get started because they are overwhelmed with ideas and don’t know which one to grab first. In this case, a writer’s mind resembles a wind machine on a game show where the contestant inside a giant glass tube frantically claws at dollar bills whirling around, hoping to grab something of value before the buzzer goes off.
In other cases, writers struggle to get started because they are not writing from conviction, but from some notion of having to say something intelligent and captivating every time they write. They are thinking like perfectionists and waiting for the Muse to deliver that perfect opening line or that perfect idea no one has yet thought of. But all the best writers know better. There is nothing new under the sun and all first drafts are crappy.
The key to writing something worth reading isn’t getting it perfect the first time; it’s simply beginning to write something—anything. In The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop, Stephen Koch writes, “The only way to begin is to begin, and begin right now.”
The only way to get the water to flow is to turn on the faucet.
The answer to the nefarious writer’s block is to simply begin writing. Start writing, now. Pick up the pen, or open up the document, sit your butt in the chair, and write something. Write anything. Begin by writing a list of things that interest you or begin by writing down everything that bothers you in the world. Whatever you do, write.
Annie Dillard explains, “When you write, you lay out a line of words. The line of words is a miner’s pick, a woodcarver’s gouge, a surgeon’s probe. You wield it, and it digs a path you follow. Soon you find yourself in deep new territory. Is it a dead end, or have you located the real subject? You will know tomorrow, or this time next year.”
In other words, you’ll never know if it’s good or not until you begin.
In the spirit of helping writers turn on the faucet, the following is a list of ideas to help you begin. Try them in order or just try any that suit your fancy.
1. Write down everything you know. Don’t stop until you cannot think of anything else you don’t know. Then write down everything your boss, or your spouse, or your best friend knows. Then write down what you wished you knew.
2. Free write. Set a timer for 15 minutes and then start writing in a notebook or a writing document. Don’t pick up your pen or stop pecking at the keys until the timer goes off. No matter what, keep writing. Write everything that comes to your mind, no matter what it is. Don’t worry about sharing it with anyone. It’s just an exercise that may yield a seed for the next great literary novel.
3. Make a list of interesting books, articles, authors or ideas. Write down as many as you can think of in every category you can think of. When you can’t write anymore, choose a new category and do it again.
4. Pick a fight. You don’t have to publish it. Probably, you shouldn’t. But pick a fight with someone on paper. Take issue with their political position, their religion, their theology, or the way they raise their children. Do your best to take them out with your words. Remember, though, think twice before publishing it.
5. Tell the truth. Tell something honest and revealing about yourself. You don’t have to publish this one, either; nonetheless, be as honest as possible about something you feel, something you believe, or something you’ve done. You can even make something up here. Write a full confession to a bank robbery, a high-profile kidnapping, or even murder.
6. Do further research a topic from #3 on this list. Choose one of the topics, people, or books from your list and try to write a five-page research paper about it. It doesn’t have to be good, just written.
7. Copy a poem or short story verbatim. Pick a favorite author and copy one of his or her short stories, poems, or try an excerpt from a chapter. Try to anticipate what will come next when you copy the words. When you inevitably come across something you think should be different, write it your way. Of course, as you know, you can’t publish something you copied, but it will be an enlightening exercise.
8. Imagine a “What if?” scenario and then explain how and what happens. In his book, On Writing, Stephen King says he often asks, “What if?” What if your grandmother auditioned for AC/DC? What if your cousin got a fishing hook stuck in his tongue? What if you accidentally ate a hallucinogenic mushroom? What if you ate it on purpose? What if there was a frog in your mother’s bed and your father was nowhere to be found?
9. Describe a person, a setting, or an item. Pick something in the room and try to describe it to a blind person who has just learned to speak your language. What does it smell like? How does it feel to the touch? What does it sound like? What does it taste like? To what is it analogous?
10. Rewrite the introduction, the ending, or even the plot to your favorite book. What if the protagonist lived (or died) instead? What if the protagonist was really the antagonist? What if the setting was a country lake instead of a bustling city? What if the big bad wolf was really good and little red riding hood was bad? What if the grandma in the story ate little girls and the big bad wolf was on a mission to save them? Playing off other stories is a common literary approach. For example, look what Walt Disney did with many of the old fairy tales. The possibilities are endless.
One final thought: If all else fails, remember, when tasked with the monumental work of penning the history of the world for the Hebrew people, Moses simply began by writing, “In the beginning…” Like Maria, in the Sound of Music, he knew it was the very best place to start. So he did. He didn’t wait for “inspiration, per se;” he just answered the call by grabbing his hammer and chisel and got to work the same way a plumber does. His inspiration came in the activity of working his craft. Be assured, you too will find your inspiration as soon you begin.
Would you like to enrich the well from which you draw your inspiration? You might be interested in perusing the writing and literature courses I teach.