# " Why is there Writer's Block? No-one ever talks about having "Plumber's Block"



## Kingstonmike (Jul 14, 2014)

What do you think?

Is writing just a job like any other or is it really a case of waiting for the "muse"?

I'm sure this topic has been brought up before, and I am sorry in advance if it has been.

I think a lot of "Writer's Block" can be alleviated by just showing up at the page day after day and committing to writing a certain number of words a day, every day...


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## dale (Jul 14, 2014)

for me? i have to be possessed by the proper demon to write well. OR, i have to properly possess the demon to write well. 
some people can channel the demon well and on demand. i can't. i have to go through all kinds of rituals and self-immolation.
but creativity is a bit different than turning a screw. it's the difference between artistic and tech writing.


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## T.S.Bowman (Jul 14, 2014)

Yes, the topic has been brought up before. Many times. However, there is nothing to apologize for. There is nothing wrong with asking questions or putting your opinion out there.

Some here (including myself) feel that "writer's block" doesn't exist. There are times when almost every writer gets 'stuck' on a specific part of the story. But, as you said, the best way to get past it is to continue writing. What you write on any given day may be complete garbage, but eventually, you'll get back on track.


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## InstituteMan (Jul 14, 2014)

As someone who has waded around my basement scratching my head, I dispute the notion that there is no such thing as plumber's block.

As for writer's block, I think that showing up to write every day helps some writers. Some writers need a break. Some need other things, some need lots of little things.

Hopefully everyone here can find what works for them. Showing up every day is worth a try. It helps me, I know.


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## Bishop (Jul 14, 2014)

Kingstonmike said:


> I think a lot of "Writer's Block" can be alleviated by just showing up at the page day after day and committing to writing a certain number of words a day, every day...



A lot of us agree with this. Just write, it's the only way to continue writing. As for the term itself, it's like any other term... someone says it, it catches on, and the only "block" a plumber has is... well, insert your own butt crack joke here.


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## Sam (Jul 14, 2014)

I've encountered several blocks as a plumber.


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## Kyle R (Jul 14, 2014)

Writer's block, the way I define it, is when a writer is dissatisfied with the material they're creating. Nothing seems to be "good enough."

It's like trying to paint and having all your art resemble something any monkey could do. I know the feeling. I struggle with it on a daily basis.

If it continues long enough, a writer can reach a state of paralysis, where you're tired of seeing how crappy a writer you are, and you simply don't want to write anymore, because you know, from experience, it will just be more of the same amateurish crap.

It's a deadly whirlpool to get sucked into, and it's entirely real for many writers. I'm one of them.

For me, the solution is a mixture of the "keep writing" philosophy, along with something else: lowering my standards.

I tend to get blocked when I set my expectations too high. 

Aiming to win the Pulitzer Prize with my next first draft? Instant blockage.

Writing just for fun to see where it goes? The drain clears, and that satisfying _slosh_ of water hits the bottom of the basin. :encouragement:


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## InstituteMan (Jul 14, 2014)

KyleColorado said:


> Writer's block, the way I define it, is when a writer is dissatisfied with the material they're creating. Nothing seems to be "good enough."
> 
> It's like trying to paint and having all your art resemble something any monkey could do. I know the feeling. I struggle with it on a daily basis.
> 
> ...



I whole heartedly approve of lowering one's standards! :eagerness:


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## Terry D (Jul 14, 2014)

After many days of sitting at the keyboard waiting in the pale glow of the blank screen, my muse knocked on the door to my den. She was a beautiful sight, wrapped in a shimmering gown of radiant inspiration, her hair flowing, tossed by the breeze of creativity.

"Where have you been?" I asked.

"I've been sharing my gifts with others," she replied.

"But I needed you.  My book..."

"Is not my concern. A muse is not bound to any writer." I considered this for a moment and decided she was right. If I thought I needed her I would be at her mercy, unable to scratch out even a paragraph without first awaiting her arrival.

"Thank you," I said, as I picked up my copy of the Concise Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (Vol. 1) and slammed it into the side of her head. I dragged her out into the field behind my house and buried her beside a struggling maple tree. Then I went back inside, opened a beer, and wrote 2,000 words. I've written every day since.

The tree is still struggling.


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## dale (Jul 14, 2014)

KyleColorado said:


> Writer's block, the way I define it, is when a writer is dissatisfied with the material they're creating. Nothing seems to be "good enough."
> 
> It's like trying to paint and having all your art resemble something any monkey could do. I know the feeling. I struggle with it on a daily basis.
> 
> ...



 there's truth in this....but art is like very spiritual...i don't mean "religious"...i mean "spiritual". or to me, it is. i can't bring myself to "lower the standard". well, that's a lie...i have in the past...but i still don't like it. it makes me feel "icky". it's why i sometimes let the "writer's block" control my writing. i feel like it's there for a reason.


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## Kingstonmike (Jul 14, 2014)

InstituteMan said:


> I whole heartedly approve of lowering one's standards! :eagerness:



Certainly was useful when I was still going to singles bars, in my youth...:champagne:


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## Nickleby (Jul 14, 2014)

Someone has probably made this connection before. There seem to be some correspondences between writer's block and impotence. You're tired, you're preoccupied, you're not in the mood, and one day you can't perform. The next time you either get back on the bicycle or you fail again. Fail enough times and it becomes a mental thing, not just a physical thing. The cause(s) may have nothing to do with the problem, so it can be very hard to diagnose, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets.

That's what I hear, anyway. I've certainly never had that problem.....:friendly_wink:


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## dale (Jul 14, 2014)

Nickleby said:


> Someone has probably made this connection before. There seem to be some correspondences between writer's block and impotence. You're tired, you're preoccupied, you're not in the mood, and one day you can't perform. The next time you either get back on the bicycle or you fail again. Fail enough times and it becomes a mental thing, not just a physical thing. The cause(s) may have nothing to do with the problem, so it can be very hard to diagnose, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets.
> 
> That's what I hear, anyway. I've certainly never had that problem.....:friendly_wink:



no. that makes me have more of an understanding. i mean...i'm not embarrassed of anything. i'm 45 and have went "impotent" 1 time in my life.
it was when i quit drinking like 3 or 4 years ago. it was the last straw. it was like week 3 of not drinking. i had already went to the hospital for 
sever dehydration. they IV'd me a couple times, gave me some librium, and sent me on my way. so then? my 'self" said..."oh yeah? watch this."
and it sent me into that impotent thing. i was like...really? to hell with this. i went and got a 12 pack of torpedo ale. slammed it, and rode the carousel
all night. that's the way the muse is. it's JUST like a drug or booze. it wants EVERYTHING. and if you don't give it everything? you gonna suffer.


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## Kyle R (Jul 14, 2014)

dale said:


> there's truth in this....but art is like very spiritual...i don't mean "religious"...i mean "spiritual". or to me, it is. i can't bring myself to "lower the standard". well, that's a lie...i have in the past...but i still don't like it. it makes me feel "icky". it's why i sometimes let the "writer's block" control my writing. i feel like it's there for a reason.



I can understand that.

Maybe a mixture of approaches might work for you: lowering your standards upon writing the first draft, then aiming for perfection during the rewriting stage? :encouragement:


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## garza (Jul 14, 2014)

Here is a sure cure for writer's block. Quit your job. Become a freelance journalist.


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## Kingstonmike (Jul 14, 2014)

garza said:


> Here is a sure cure for writer's block. Quit your job. Become a freelance journalist.



Yeah, my Dad wrote for newspapers all his adult life....Said only muse he needed was a deadline...Wrote probably over a thousand articles and columns....Some were better than others...Just finished one and moved on, I suspect.


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## Ixarku (Jul 14, 2014)

garza said:


> Here is a sure cure for writer's block. Quit your job. Become a freelance journalist.




I like to say that I would love to do this (become a freelance fiction writer, anyway, not a journalist), but, frankly, the idea scares the hell out of me, and I've got too much to lose to take a big risk right now.  For now, I'll play it safe and stick with my secure, reasonably well-paying day job until I get closer to retirement.  And obviously I'll continue to write and learn in the meantime.  I'm 40, planning to retire at 62.  My goal is sell at least 2 novels by the time I'm 50, and at age 50, I'll take stock of my life and see if it's realistic to quit my job and try writing full-time.  And if not, well, I'll want something to keep me busy anyway once I retire, so what's a few more years.


Writers block?  For me, it takes the form of not being able to figure out how a scene or story should progress.  An absence of ideas.  If I know _what_ I want, I can usually figure out how I want to say it.  When I get really stuck, it kills my momentum and my self-esteem.  I'm slowly gaining confidence in my abilities, though, so it's happening a lot less frequently.


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## shadowwalker (Jul 15, 2014)

I always distinguish between what people call writer's block (which I don't believe in) and being stuck on some part of your writing (which happens to most everyone at some point). I definitely don't think people should wait around for their 'muse' or 'inspiration' - at least not if they want to get published. Not only will it take much, _much _longer to finish that ms, but if it does get accepted, editors aren't going to be pleased if they have to wait for your muse to get off his/her butt before those revisions are done.


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## spartan928 (Jul 15, 2014)

The trouble with discussing writers block is that writing is a very personal experience. Some say "just write". Fair enough, but why? Each person has to understand their motivation for writing and what they are getting out of the experience. Is it really fair to suggest amateur writers of fiction take the approach of journalists and create some fake deadline or quit their job when no financial incentive exists for doing so, and may never exist? Let's get real here. You want to make up stories and write them down. Nobody cares if you do it but you and that is a fact. Not your mother, siblings, friends, co-workers and least of all the un-adoring public. Other writers are cranking out 1,200 self-published novels a day. Why should you?

I won't minimize the emotional mind-wringing that can go on when sitting down to write or trying to conjure a story. It's hard work for me, and for others I suspect. But you have to clear that fog and understand why writing is important. Why you should put that story down on paper in that moment and why the experience will be something valuable to you. You can have any reason you want, that's your right. But, it's your decision to brush away all the baggage and get down to laying down stories. Good or bad, it doesn't matter because the only person it matters to is you in that moment. If it's garbage, what consequence is there? None at all except that you produced it, which in itself is real. Mental gymnastics never accomplished anything, but we all go through it, so sort out the best method for you to clear your inner psychic, critic, and psychotherapist and write.


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## fivetoesten (Jul 15, 2014)

If I say I have writer's block I'm secretly admitting I have no self-discipline. Maybe not so secretly...


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## Kyle R (Jul 15, 2014)

fivetoesten said:


> If I say I have writer's block I'm secretly admitting I have no self-discipline. Maybe not so secretly...



Equating writer's block with a lack of discipline is, to me, a way of belittling the authors who struggle with it.

Just last week I rewrote the same passage for over two hours, over and over and over, trying to get it right, and failing each time. I was working hard, not slacking off. But I was, also, blocked.


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## dither (Jul 15, 2014)

I seems to me, that like any other dilemma, sometimes you just have to put it down and back off.
I know it's not the same thing but the times i've gone to work with the weight of the world upon my shoulders, more times than i care to remember, but my job is so demanding/all consuming that there isn't room for anything else, it's work'work'work.
Then usually, as i work through my shift, i have eureka-moments, y'know?
And by the time i knock off i've worked everything out and moved on.

But that's just me, and i'm not a writer.


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## fivetoesten (Jul 15, 2014)

> Equating writer's block with a lack of discipline is, to me, a way of belittling the authors who struggle with it.


Not my intention at all--I sometimes struggle with self-discipline, and I was speaking for myself.


> over and over and over


but at least you were writing. I've always assumed "writer's block" meant nothing comes out at all. To my shame, "butt in chair" is too often "butt wandering around".


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## Terry D (Jul 15, 2014)

KyleColorado said:


> Equating writer's block with a lack of discipline is, to me, a way of belittling the authors who struggle with it.
> 
> Just last week I rewrote the same passage for over two hours, over and over and over, trying to get it right, and failing each time. I was working hard, not slacking off. But I was, also, blocked.



That's not what I think most people are talking about when they speak of writer's block. You were writing, you were putting words on paper (virtually anyway) and you were creating. You weren't happy with it, but you were producing. I think when most people talk about being blocked they mean the inability to get anything on the page. A case of creative constipation, which for many results in walking away from the project. That sort of 'block' is completely controlled by the writer. You did what all of us nasty, don't-believe-in-writer's-block sorts suggest. You stayed with it and worked the problem.


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## Kyle R (Jul 15, 2014)

Touché, five and Terry. Points well-made! 

And I eventually did solve the issue, so maybe there's merit in the "just keep writing" philosophy, after all. :icon_cheesygrin:


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## tabasco5 (Jul 15, 2014)

Speaking generally, plumbers know what steps need to be taken and what tools are used to fix a given problem.  

There is an equation of some sort worked out in their minds regarding a specific recognized problem and how it needs to be handled.  There is then a mental checklist that is gone through, the individual tasks are performed, the job is completed.

The same can be done for writing.  If you know what it is that needs to be done for your problem, and you can define how you are going to tackle the problem, you can then work through it methodically.  The tools and the process improve and expand over time by refining your craft.  

So, this is all to say that writer's block comes down to: A. Not knowing the problem.  B. Not planning the approach properly.  C.  Not having the tools to fix the problem.


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## dale (Jul 15, 2014)

plumbers block. ha ha. actually, plumbers REMOVE blocks. they unclog shit. like literally.


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## Kevin (Jul 15, 2014)

...and just writing anything to un-clog could result in literal shit, too.  Priming the pump I guess...


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## Morkonan (Jul 15, 2014)

Kingstonmike said:


> What do you think?
> 
> Is writing just a job like any other or is it really a case of waiting for the "muse"?
> 
> ...



No such thing as a "muse," nor "writer's block", either. There are days when I wake up that I am not coordinated enough to ice-skate, even if I liked to ice-skate or there was an ice-skating rink within a few hundred miles... (There might be, but I've never looked for one.) BUT, if I really wanted to ice-skate, I'd try to do it, anyway. If I didn't, I wouldn't.... 

I do admit that some people can be confronted with certain writing problems that take a bit of work or they might even be faced with a situation in which they can't move on or can't think of a solution. Sure, that happens. But, I don't believe that there exists a thing called "Writer's Block" that can actually prevent someone from writing. Sure, they might write crap, but everyone does that... The point is that one can always write, but one is never guaranteed that it would be good, anyway. 

Writing can be a "job", just like any other. One can write like a machine, given proper inspiration. But, more often, writing is something more personal than that for a writer. So, if they feel themselves trapped in a moment where they're not getting that personal inspiration, that emotional high that comes with a good writing session, maybe they're too quick to blame some outside force? Inspiration in an internal quality, not an external one. (Unless you're in a cult.)


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## Apple Ice (Jul 15, 2014)

I get a bit iffy when people forget what they're saying is an opinion, not a fact. If someone wants to put a name to a lack of creativity, then let them. That makes it real to them. Just because you (in general) don't name it, doesn't mean others shouldn't, either. I don't really get writer's block but if I did I wouldn't worry about it or refuse I was going through it. It is what it is, name it or don't, just remember it's an opinion, not a fact. 

I personally take my time with everything, so I don't like forcing out a shit if its not ready to come out - I don't think I will ever stop using that analogy.


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## Morkonan (Jul 15, 2014)

Apple Ice said:


> ...I don't think I will ever stop using that analogy.



It's appropriate! Thankfully, my writing already comes with paper, so no need to make extra trips to the grocery store to stock up...


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## bookmasta (Jul 15, 2014)

Kingstonmike said:


> What do you think?
> 
> Is writing just a job like any other or is it really a case of waiting for the "muse"?
> 
> ...



I've been doing over a fifteen-hundred words a day for the past year plus. I don't get writers block. I have too many ideas and not enough time. So in this instance, yes, writing is just like any other job.


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## Katie GlassSlipper (Jul 16, 2014)

garza said:


> Here is a sure cure for writer's block. Quit your job. Become a freelance journalist.



Haha, this is basically what I was going to say. I've been a professional freelancer writer for the last 4 years. Before that, I wrote for a newspaper full time. Writer's block = Fired. Therefore, writer's block was not allowed to exist. 

Now, I will say that some days are better than others and some things I write are certainly much better than others. However, I learned to push through during the period of my life where not pushing through would mean not having any electricity. If you have solid writing skills (decent grammar, tolerable punctuation, the ability to research effectively and phrase things in a reader-friendly format) then you will find that even your "bad" writing will be tolerable for reader consumption. It may not be a literary gift from God, but if you need a literary gift from God then you can always edit and revise later.


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## Kyle R (Jul 16, 2014)

I've noticed my instances of writer's block tend to spike for a few days after receiving a rejection notice.

Those rejections have a knack for zapping my confidence as a writer, if only for a short time.

Confidence, then, (at least for me) plays a role in my creative output. Some days are harder than others. Some days, you just don't feel good enough to make it. Some days, even, you begin to ask yourself, "Why bother? It'll just be another form rejection anyway."

On those days, writer's block attacks like a wild animal crashing through the front door. 

When this happens, I find it helps to write anything. Something random. Something fun. A "throw away" story, if you will. Not a story to pay the bills, or a story to further your career, but just a story to toss out the window to lure the rabid _writer's block_ beast away.

It'll buy you some time to get back on track, to reclaim your confidence—at least until the monster gets hungry again. :grief:


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## DannyMullen (Jul 16, 2014)

Kingstonmike said:


> What do you think?
> 
> 
> 
> I think a lot of "Writer's Block" can be alleviated by just showing up at the page day after day and committing to writing a certain number of words a day, every day...


Agree completely. I try not to think of myself as "blocked" when a passage isn't coming out; some scenes and ideas are just harder to express than others, and time and focus is the remedy.


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## BeastlyBeast (Jul 16, 2014)

I honestly wonder if writer's block is not necessarily writers block, but rather writing a plot too complex for the writer to swallow. Or perhaps the plot is too big and complex for even the characters to swallow. I am outlining a story about how a clan sacked a part of a continent, and the story revolves around the clan's preparing for expansion and a retaliation battle, and the losing side's preparation for said retaliation, among other problems within the party itself. I have many ideas for people marrying, treachery, extreme disagreements and following through with un-agreed plans creating strife in the book. But, I am about 3 days into thinking about this story, and I am really wondering if perhaps I am shooting too big, or if the story is too big for itself, so to say? Do you think it's possible to have a complex plot and not enough thrown into it, or try too hard to make their story more complex than it *actually is*? I only wonder, because even though my initial planning and plotting is 'complete,' my story just doesn't feel like it's coming together in a complete manner as I outline it... there's gotta be a better reason than "I can't do it because I have writer's block."


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## movieman (Jul 16, 2014)

BeastlyBeast said:


> I honestly wonder if writer's block is not necessarily writers block, but rather writing a plot too complex for the writer to swallow. Or perhaps the plot is too big and complex for even the characters to swallow.



Ditto. I think 'writer's block' is usually 'plot block', where you've written yourself into a spot you have no idea how to get out of.

Similar to 'software developer's block' where code has become so complex that you have to step back and rethink the whole thing for hours or days before you can revise it to fix a bug.

Michael Moorcock said his solution was to swtich to another character's PoV and write that until he'd figured out how to progress the character who was stuck.


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## Newman (Jul 16, 2014)

Kingstonmike said:


> I think a lot of "Writer's Block" can be alleviated by just showing up at the page day after day and committing to writing a certain number of words a day, every day...



Agree.


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## voltigeur (Jul 21, 2014)

I am on the side that says that writer’s block is real. I say that because I have seen a similar condition in theatre. I did Improv Comedy for several years and how witty and funny you were, had a direct relation to how relaxed and “in the moment” you were. We did exersizes that put us in the proper state of mind before practice or shows. 

I think that you have to be in a certain state to write. When you are on fire writing, recognize what state of being you are in. Mentally, physically and emotionally. How relaxed are you? What just inspired you? How energetic are you, or are you slightly tired? 

Once you learn to recognize this state then you can learn to reproduce it.  For Example if you are easily distracted when rested, walking before you write can bleed off excess energy and help you concentrate. If life’s stresses leave you depressed and blocked then any kind of distressing is needed before you try to write. 

If my writer’s block is severe I don’t beat myself up about it. That only increases the stress and prolongs the condition. I edit what I have already written, or research historical facts that affect the next scene. That way I am still moving the project forward even if I’m not particularly creative that day. Usually that afternoon or the next day I am back in state and creating new scenes. 

I learned about this while looking for a job. Trying to keep going while being told “no”, ignored or trying to swim in other’s stupidity is so taxing. I had to get into state to keep doing what I needed to every day.

The other thing that helps is I found a critique group. It is attended by several published authors and editors. I am learning a lot, plus having to have something ready every 2 weeks is a great motivator.


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## Nicholas McConnaughay (Jul 24, 2014)

There is this song by the Meat Puppets, the first time that I heard it was from Nirvana. "I don't have to think. I only have to do it. The results are always perfect." 

This will sound arrogant, but that's exactly how I feel about my writing. Technically speaking, of course, it isn't always perfect. In-fact, it is never perfect. However, I have never really faced something called "writer's block," I have faced a lack of motivation, and I have faced feeling disheartened about my work. However, I notice that I can, when I take the time out, sit down and practically force myself to write. It's funny, but I notice the times when I do that, the feedback for my work is actually more positive. I suppose you could say that I have found that it isn't a 'feeling' that makes my work turn out well, it's either something inside of me, or because I unplug my brain and just write.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Jul 25, 2014)

There's no plumber's block because plumbing generally isn't a creative profession.  I'll bet you've also never heard of editor's block - for both plumbing and editing, you only have to see the problem and fix it.  Writing is a creative pastime, and it's the creativity that suffers blockage, not the actual act of writing.


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## Tan (Jul 28, 2014)

Kyle R said:


> Touché, five and Terry. Points well-made!
> 
> And I eventually did solve the issue, so maybe there's merit in the "just keep writing" philosophy, after all. :icon_cheesygrin:



"just keep writing" helped me as well. I personally agree with everyone who said stuff like "there is no such thing" and "No one should wait for inspiration"


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