Teen Talk: The cure for writer’s block is to write

My head goes into blank mode. Some people would call it writer’s block. I call it “the thing that will prevent me from writing.”
There are times when I’ve gone weeks without writing because I’ve been busy with school, work or other extra curricular activities. I know that shouldn’t be an excuse because “You can always find at least a couple minutes a day to do some creative writing,” I was told by a friend who just so happens to be a writer.

It’s difficult for me when I do try to write in my spare time, though, I end up glaring at the wall, wondering what new show will be coming to Netflix. I’ve tried Googling “How to get rid of writer’s block” but all the websites say to just “write freely,” “look at other pieces from different people” or, my personal favorite and frankly the one I relate to the most, “don’t be hard on yourself and write the first thing that comes to mind.”
Yes, these were all great tips but none of them worked at all. Believe me — I tried a good portion of the tips that were provided, but it was simply no use.
When writing, there are so many things that you have to be cautious of, like “vomiting out words,” which I tend to do a lot. I have so many thoughts and ideas, but I sometimes am at a loss for how to organize my work properly. Therefore, a good percentage of the time, I tend to drift from the actual point I’m trying to make, which I’m doing right now.
Another thing to think about when writing is to not really be cautious of is being yourself. When you write, give emotion to the piece that you’re writing. You want whoever is reading it to feel a pull toward what you’re writing. This is honestly my hardest thing while writing. Every time I write something, I end up feeling it’s too personal and become uncomfortable with sharing it. There have been times I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and shared my personal work, and I just couldn’t become comfortable with it.
I think these “rules” I live by when I write tend to play a major role in my writer’s block. I needed to set a type of standard for myself just for the sake of my writing. Even though it isn’t the best at times and can become sloppy and jumbled, I just need something for it to lean on. This is where the processes begins, because everything needs improvement, right?

The writer’s block is a slight step in the right direction, even though it happens frequently. I’ve been told that writer’s block does not exist and is just a symptom that a “perfectionist writer” has, meaning someone needs everything to be perfect in his or her writing or it’s not good enough. I suppose I have something of the sort, but sometimes what I think was done well ends up being a piece that was poor in another’s eyes.
I believe that a “perfectionist writer’s” block is real, but here’s another tip that ended up helping me: If you don’t know what to write because of that pesky writer’s block. then write about it. It ends up helping in the end, because, right now, I have another list of things that I can write.
I know that writing can be a challenging task, but it’s also the most incredible feeling in the entire world every time you finish a piece, knowing that you accomplished something.
Natalie Davis is a sophomore at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School.

copy thedailystar