Written by: Dawn Bates, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“The condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing” may be the dictionary definition of writer’s block, and other experts may say “it is a lack of inspiration” that causes the blockage in our writing...
But sometimes it is the overwhelming cascade of ideas, thoughts, and pent-up emotions that stop us from being still, or that rage through us, which results in us being unable to make sense of how to express ourselves – and this is also true for our expression through voice, as well as the written word.
For many of us, our voices are louder when we write. The practice of writing gives us the opportunity to purge out all that is consuming us, whether it be our daily journaling practice, or writing for publication.
For instance, I haven’t been able to write an article for the past couple of months due to the overwhelming amount of emotions and thoughts which have left me feeling as though I was drowning – and I am known as a writing machine by those I work with and those who are in my network on LinkedIn.
Life’s curveballs
There are those amongst us who often assume that those of us who have many books to our names do not suffer from writer’s block.
Those who know me well are surprised to learn that whilst I can sit down and write 12,000 words on an average day, and 15,000 words on a good day, I too get writer’s block; but like you, I am human. I have a life that throws curve balls my way; and I have a family and a business to run, build and scale to new heights all the time.
Over the past few months, I have been processing a traumatic event that happened in my life back in 2017, which finally came to a close at the end of October, and before that I have been dealing with the aspects of said event that was leading to it becoming closed.
There was no air for me to breathe. I felt like I was suffocating, drowning and could not see beyond the next hour, let alone my usual five- and ten-year visions.
Then there was the onboarding of new clients and team members, getting to grips with implementing new tech systems to be able to cope with the scaling of my business, the launch of my new online store as well as adjusting to life in Canada for the North American leg of my book tour.
Sometimes we are studying, researching a particular subject, sometimes our families need us and there are those moments when we just need to shut out the world completely and just hide under the duvet and blankets.
Setting out on the journey of authoring a book, an article or indeed an essay or thesis for our study programmes takes a level of commitment to ourselves and our future goals.
There are those of us who can bang out article after article, book after book, but how we choose to tie those all in together for the overall strategy of our careers and business makes all the difference. How does one book fit the previous one or the next one? What resources or products/services are we adding to our business, or indeed how are we setting up our author business to work in harmony with our existing career, be that working for others or ourselves.
How do we overcome writer’s block?
Overcoming writer’s block isn’t simply a case of sitting down and writing, it can include a lot of ‘unpacking’ of the past, or getting a list of jobs done that are either imperative or urgent – or both. It can also include delegating tasks, taking a holiday with loved ones, or simply booking yourself a series of self-care treatments such as a massage, particularly an Indian Head Massage. Reiki is another great self-care treatment to have if you have writer’s block, as is asking yourself some important journalling questions such as:
What are the subjects I wish I could write about, but can’t?
Why can’t I write about the subjects I want to write about?
What is stopping me from writing what I want to write?
If I weren’t being stopped from writing, what would be the key points I would like to make?
What are the questions I want to answer in my writing?
Am I afraid of writing what I want to write, and if so why?
If I don’t write what I want to write, what will be:
The worst that will happen?
Most likely to happen?
The best that would happen?
Now, these journalling questions may not be the answer for you, but neither is going to the kitchen and looking for something to eat or making yourself another cup of tea! (And that is coming from someone who loves a cup of tea!)
Maybe the way for you to shake off writer’s block is to change up your sports or exercise. Instead of running, try swimming, or cycling, perhaps even start dancing or go for a long hike.
And if exercise isn’t your thing, then take a cookery class or simply head down to your nearest library or bookstore and hide away reading all day.
There is no one-size-fits-all all cure for writer’s block which is why when writers book me for a writer’s unblock session, I get to the hidden depths of what is stopping them so they can get back to writing – and writing what they want to write, when they want to write, with increased speed and often with a game plan to make more money from their writing.
Getting started again
Once writer’s block has been kicked out the door with a good swift and hard boot, most people can start writing again without delay and with more flow than ever before. Many of my clients have increased their daily word count by at least thirty percent.
For some writers, they may have changed tactics and instead of starting with a title, they are now choosing to start with an idea and the key points they wish to make, others just sit their backside down on the chair and write. I fall into the last two options most of the time, as well a category of ‘tunes on and stand up dancing at the kitchen unit whilst writing’ – like I say in module five in my 7 week author course, your environment is everything when it comes to writing.
And not just the environment we write in, but also the environment in our head, soul, and body.
If our heads are full of nonsense, and we haven’t taken the time to read books written by others in the genre we write in, or we haven’t invested in writing courses, coaches (like me) or have someone assess or edit our work, then how do we know whether we are improving or not?
If our writing is to become great writing, we need to do the things that make us a great writer, and oftentimes that doesn’t mean writing something that the masses can devour over the course of a rainy weekend whilst curled up on the couch in our cosy clothes.
To become a great writer, one who makes a difference in the world, we have to be willing to read things which challenge us, process the content and do further research into what we have learnt. It means possibly changing our stance and beliefs on something, because what we learn means everything we have believed to be true our whole lives crumbles and we are left in a space of uncomfortable nakedness. Great writers challenge us, they make us reflect on what we think we know about the world. Often they anger us, leave us wanting to un read what we have just read, and ultimately they help us see the world through a different lens. Great writers bring to our attention things we either didn't know, knew of but didn't know details, and they also help us dive into subjects that transform our lives.
And in part, it is this transformational impact and the confronting of other people and their ideas which have many authors suffer from writer’s block or write something so vanilla the Madagascan vanilla pods in the Hagen Daas ice-cream get jealous!
As one of my new clients recently shared with me “I don’t want to be seen as a know it all” but given the decades of experience she has in her chosen subject and the fact she does know more than most people on her chosen subject, I had to remind her that knowing more than others is the very reason people will buy her book, and why they have been paying her the fees which built her very successful practice.
There is no shame in knowing more than others, and those of us in business know the more people we hire who know more than us, the more successful our businesses will become as a result.
Hiding who we are, what we think, what we know and what we have been through is one of the biggest causes of writer’s block and plays into the dangerous world of cancel culture.
It is time we as individuals stopped worrying about what others think of us, stopped worrying about offending others, and started considering the impact and legacy we wish to make in the world with our writing.
Do we wish to author a book which helps others learn about the world we live in, either through fiction or non-fiction?
Do we wish to educate and entertain with historical fiction, as another one of my clients is doing with his book?
Do we wish to inspire and motivate others to heal themselves from trauma or depression such as the up and coming man up book I am working on with the charity Tough To Talk?
Do we wish to write a book about events in our life so others can borrow our courage and determination to expose injustice, inspire social change or bring communities together?
Do we want to take all that research we have done on a particular subject and author a book which will make more of a difference in the bookstores of the world, rather than the libraries of universities?
Or do we want to disappear altogether into the world of vanilla bean fiction which doesn’t really add any educational value to the world, but does gives someone a joyful escape from their life for the few hours they are reading our book for?
Because let’s face it, a vanilla bean fiction book which we can read in a few hours can be a tremendous healing tool, or the very thing that stops the overthinking, overachiever from overthinking their overachievements with even more overthinking!
Wherever you are at on your writing journey, just know that where you are is the best place for you to take a moment and consider where you want to go, what you want to achieve, and more importantly it is the best place for you to take a breath and refocus,
And if I can help you along your journey, then just reach out to me either on LinkedIn or via my website.
In the meantime, I am off to make a cup of tea and start editing another chapter in a client’s book.
Dawn Bates, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dawn Bates is a true international bestselling author multiple times over on five continents. She specialises in developing global leaders into real authorities who wish to give a voice to the voiceless whilst working with them to create brand expansion strategies through activism and authorship.
Profound truths, social justice and human rights underpin everything she does, and at the core of her soul is a passion for being of service to humanity, giving hope, courage and confidence for others to stand in their truth and live a life of conviction.
She writes for various magazines, sails around the world on yachts as a digital nomad and is currently working towards her PhD in Human Rights and Social Justice with the University of Oxford, whilst also hosting her own podcasts The Sacral Series and The Truth Serum.
Her books are powerful and comprise of solo compilations and multiple collaborations of the highest caliber. Dawn brings together the multi-faceted aspects of the world we live in and takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, whilst delivering mic dropping inspiration, motivation and awakening. Her work captures life around the world in all its rawness.
Dawn’s expertise and insights will make you rethink your life, whilst harnessing the deepest freedom of all: your own truth. She’s an authority on leading others to create exceptional results by igniting the passions and fires deep within to speak and live powerfully.
