The Worth of Fighting Writer's Block by Timothy Fitzpatrick

It’s not an unfamiliar feeling to anyone. The sensation of a blank page taunting you with the task ahead is familiar to writers and non-writers alike. I’d imagine that writer’s block is the number one cause of creative projects being abandoned. It plagues college campuses across the world, as students sit before their computers and stare at empty word documents, the weight of their own impossible standards holding them back from getting started.

Whether writer’s block is an occasional nuisance or a constant dread to a person, it’s something we all must deal with. It manifests in many forms, and is caused by many different internal and external circumstances. Perfectionism could lead to a person deleting and re-wording the same sentence endlessly. Self-doubt can make writing seem pointless. Any myriad of insecurities can slow productivity to a crawl.

As with many problems that spring from inside our heads, it can be infuriating to try and fight writer’s block. The only generally accepted way to consistently defeat it is to make writing a habit; to build mental muscles bit by bit until you feel strong enough to shoulder the burden. This solution, although undoubtedly effective, has little short-term payoff at first glance. In a world dominated by algorithms and short attention spans, how is it worth such a time cost to invest in something that feels so intangible?

Because struggling with writer’s block, no matter how much you feel it’s affecting your life, it inhibits your ability to express yourself. It hampers communication and dampens attempts to break out of ruts. Learning any skill affects the way that you order your life. A skill as fundamental to communication as writing brings endless improvements to day-to-day life. Putting in time to learn to write, even if you decide not to share with others, will only improve your life.