My writing career has been at a standstill lately, perhaps due to being distracted by various health concerns and family events, and discouraged by a couple of negative reviews. Looking back at my own advice about dealing with writer’s block, taken from my short ebook Wellbeing for Writers:

“Inspiration tends to come in waves. There are times when writers are full of ideas. At other times they may have none, which is always frustrating, and presents a major problem for those who earn their living from writing or have publishing deadlines to meet.

There may be an obvious reason for feeling blocked. I always find myself unable to engage with a new book immediately after finishing the last one, even though I am only really satisfied and happy when I have a writing project underway. I make use of such fallow periods to organise and de-clutter the paperwork in my office and the files on my computer, and to market the book I have just completed.

Some of the other causes for writer’s block, for example striving too hard for perfection, feeling upset about rejection or criticism, adverse experiences in another sphere of life, having too many other things to do, or suffering from a depressive mood swing, are discussed in other chapters.

Besides dealing with any remediable underlying causes, there are various strategies for overcoming writer’s block. If circumstances permit it can be a good idea to take a complete break from writing, and do something else for a day or two or even much longer. Preferably this will involve activities, people and places completely different from those encountered in your usual routine, which may provide new ideas. Other forms of creativity, such as painting or dancing, can help.

The opposite approach is to discipline yourself to keep on writing for a set period each day, but again try doing it with a new approach. Clear the clutter from your desk to encourage a fresh start. Write a short and simple piece instead of attempting the major work on which you feel stuck. Some authorities suggest inducing a relaxed state with deep breathing or slow music and then using your non-dominant hand to write something – anything – which even if it turns out to be nonsense may still stimulate the creative flow. Or try writing late at night or early in the morning, when you are half-asleep and more able to access the reservoir of images and memories in the subconscious mind.

Getting started again often presents the biggest barrier, and if you can get past that it will usually be much easier to continue.”

Fair enough, but I also find myself asking what is the point of writing at all? This is what I said in Wellbeing for Writers:

“The most fundamental and compelling motive for writing is for the sheer love of it. Some people feel they were born to write, in the same way that others know from early childhood that they were born to climb mountains, to heal the sick, to do scientific research or to make music. Writing is their vocation, destiny or soul’s purpose; the one activity which brings them ‘into the flow’ and if they are prevented from doing it they will feel frustrated and unfulfilled.

Even if you do not feel quite such a passionate commitment, you may find that writing brings other personal benefits. These could include making sense of your life experiences and challenges, expressing emotion, exploring new subjects, exercising your intellect, or feeling that you are creating something original to form a lasting legacy of your time on Earth.

These inner rewards of writing can be seen as doubly important when you consider that it takes long hours of solitary work to complete a book, and that the fate of the eventual product is unpredictable. Finishing your book, getting it published, receiving positive responses from readers, and receiving royalty payments are all worthwhile outcomes and not to be devalued. But not all writers will achieve these goals. Some books are never finished; others do get finished but are never published; many of those that do get published are seldom read or reviewed; and few authors make a good living from their royalties. The market is currently supersaturated with self-published books many of which, however good they are, will be overlooked. So it is highly desirable for the actual process of writing to be perceived as satisfying and worthwhile. In other words it is just as important to enjoy the journey as to reach the destination.”

I hope my inspiration for writing will return again soon. Meanwhile, remembering what I put in the section on writers’ health, it is better to spend time walking outdoors in the bright sunshine of the New Zealand winter than sitting down at the computer.