Writer’s Block or Perfectionism?

What keeps you from writing and what do you do about it?

Hello fellow creatives!

In this post I go over:

• Why I think my “writer’s block” is actually just perfectionism
• Some strategies that work for me and might work for you if you struggle with perfectionism too
• A call out for any suggestions of resources on overcoming perfectionism. Got any books I can add to my TBR?

Writer’s Block or Perfectionism?

I read this lovely Substack post Writer’s Block: Is It a Thing? by book coach and author Liisa Kovala this morning about writer’s block and it got me thinking, if writer’s block isn’t a real thing, why do I so often feel like I can’t write?

I often procrastinate or find other “more important” tasks even though I know writing is one of the few things that will make me feel like I actually accomplished something in a day. And when I do sit down to write, I often find myself staring at the screen, feeling totally stumped at how to put words in a coherent order to tell a story. I’ll think things like, But if I write that sentence, will it tie into the rest of the book or will I need to cut it later? or Do I really know exactly what should happen in this scene? What if I contradict myself in Act II?

When I analyze that, it’s not the almighty *Writer’s Block* that has me stumped; it’s my perfectionism. As a writer, a developmental editor, proofreader, and fledgling book coach, I know that a first draft doesn’t need to be perfect (and really never is). Heck, even the subsequent drafts are usually riddled with holes and inconsistencies and lack of context or other issues. But what I’m struggling with is how to translate that knowledge into actual practice.

If I know my writing won’t be perfect, why does that still stop me?

In theory, I understand that I need to write words, even terrible prose, to get something on the page that I can work with, but I still catch myself paralyzed by self-doubt and perfectionism. This is a deeply embedded character trait (one that makes me a great editor, but a struggling writer!) and it won’t be solved simply by quoting Hemingway, “The first draft of anything is shit.”

The first draft of anything is shit. – Ernest Hemingway

(Even as I draft this post, my inner monologue is something along the lines of: This post is sounding too focused on you, is there a way you can write it to make it more widely relevant? But I do think this is relevant to MANY people who struggle with perfectionism so I’m going to let that little voice slide and move on here).

Which brings me to….

Perfectionism is a trait that won’t go away, so what to do about it?

Unfortunately, I’m probably ALWAYS going to struggle with perfectionism. And if you’re a writer who has this trouble too, you probably know what I mean. It’s a pervasive trait that pops up in many areas of my life and it’s not going to go away by just telling it to.

Enter most effective tool in my arsenal: self-trickery.

The ways I’ve found to get around perfectionism and write only work when I recognize that what’s holding me back is my desire to write a perfect story, so that’s the first step: just being self aware. But once I recognize that, these are my favourite tactics to get my writing off the proverbial ground:

Self-Trickery Tactics

1. I switch up my medium.If I’m trying to type on the computer and I’m stuck, I take my writing off-screen. If I pull out a notebook and write by hand, it’s way harder to feel like I’m in editing mode. I can scratch stuff out and it looks messy and that’s great because it’s allowed to be. The computer screen makes everything look so neat and pretty but my notebook is a glorious mess.
2. I trick myself into thinking I’m doing a different task.This one is fun! I often use 4thewords (fantastic writing platform that gamifies writing) to do this. As soon as I select an Endurance Battle or a Word Count Battle, suddenly, my brain isn’t hyperfocused on writing pretty prose. The task is now to win the battle and my competitive streak will overpower my perfectionism every time.
3. I break it down into smaller chunks.“I’m not writing a book! NOO that would be insane…and overwhelming! And it would have to be perfect for anyone to want to read it!” Instead, I tell myself that I’m only sitting down to write a paragraph about xyz. Just one paragraph. Totally not part of a book. Inevitably, more paragraphs will follow. (Which eventually will equate to a book but I try not to tell myself that when I’m doing this).

Do you struggle with perfectionism too?

While perfectionism isn’t actually writer’s block, it sure can feel like it some days. I’m glad there’s ways around it and I know I won’t always be able to trick myself out of feeling like I need to write perfect prose, but I’m always grateful on the days I do. It’s nice to feel like I’ve accomplished something in a day! (Even a paragraph that is totally not part of a book).

Fellow creatives and inquisitives, I’m on the hunt for any good books about overcoming perfectionism or any tips about writing and perfectionism. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! I’d love to hear from you.

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