Ten Main Reasons for Writers Block and How to Cope

There is a 99% effective cure for writers block. The cure is writing. Write anything, anywhere, anytime. I am not an expert, therapist, psychiatrist or social worker but I have a lot of writing friends who have all been through the highs and lows. These are merely collective suggestions based on collective experiences.

Reasons:

1. A life-altering trauma (An accident or illness requiring a lengthy hospital or bed stay)
2. Death of someone close (relative, spouse or friend)
3. Divorce
4. A drastic change of location
5. Trading your principles for money (i.e. selling out)
6. A new editor or executive who's not enthused with your work
7. Getting fired after a contract is completed
8. Fear of rejection
9. Acceptance from your peers, rejection from your reading public
10. Fear of everything

Coping Methods:

• You are probably reassessing your life and what's really important at this point. Use this to your advantage. Write about your experience, dictate it to someone, and put all your thoughts and feelings in diary form. If you are serious about a career change, then do it. The surprise is more than 95% of writers go back to writing when the time is right.
• The period of writers block usually coincides with the period of grief. Write memorable stories about the person. Tell in story form when this person made you laugh or cry. Write a review of this person's life and how it affected you. “Time heals all wounds” is true in this scenario. Write something and dedicate it to the one you have lost.
• This one depends on the emotions pertaining to the divorce. If it was amicable, writers block should not be an issue. If the divorce was filled with anger, frustration and pure hell the effect can be devastating on a writer. The ones who get writers block are unable or unwilling to write on their own. A good way to overcome this is to take an adult education creative writing course. Ok, so you are thinking, you are a published author or journalist, and would probably get bored or think you could teach them a thing or two. But taking a class will force you to write and you may even enjoy it. The class can even be taken online under an assumed name if you feel you are too well known.
• Moving away from family and friends throws your whole life upside down, even your writing life. Start a journal when you find out you are going to move. Write about the preparation, the journey, and the final destination. When you arrive, write in the journal about your new surroundings and the people you have met.
• Ask yourself these questions. Do you need the money? Will you make more money than you have all your writing life? Are you asked to seriously compromise strongly held beliefs and foster the idea that these are your beliefs? If you answered yes to these questions a wonderful advertising tool has been invented called a “Disclaimer”. Writers can use this and therefore relinquish all responsibility. Pen names are also a useful tool if you are not comfortable with a particular piece you've written or are about to write.
• The old love adage “there are plenty of other fish in the sea” is well worth applying here. Remember that you do have fans out there. Try freelance writing to see what sort of response you get. If you are an established writer you probably have an impressive resume. Just because there have been changes in your writing organization doesn't mean you will be left behind.
• Same as 6 above. Don't wallow in self-pity.
• If you have been successful before and now have a fear of rejection there is something going on in your life you probably need professional help with. All writers have that fear to a certain extent but not to the point of succumbing to writers block.
• Most writers live to entertain or inform the public. When your reading public denounces you it can be devastating. This one is fun; if it's an article you wrote, rebut your own article under an assumed name. If it's a novel or short story that John Q. Public was highly disappointed in, and sales were low, you just have to put it behind you and go on. Every writer has at least one horrid disappointment in his or her writing life. You are not alone.
• See a Therapist.