This is in partial fulfilment(😉) of the task given by Ruth Ikegah during the fifth session of the hashnode technical writing bootcamp, November 2020. It is worthy of note that some of the ideas shared here are excerpts from that session.
I've always loved writing and I shared my story here sometimes ago. And until recently here, I had no idea what writer's block was (shameful init? 😔), probably because I actually took writing as a hobby. When I decided to start blogging (from the bootcamp), I started experiencing a block of some sorts. Some sorts in the sense that I knew what I wanted to write about but getting the right way to put it became challenging.
SESSION WITH RUTH IKEGAH
Before the session with Ruth and even after the bootcamp started, I still took writing as a hobby and I enjoy it to its fullest.
I can get motivated to start writing by anything. The wind blows too hot? That's a topic I can talk about. The sun seems off today? Another topic! Trying to be a technical writer has added a glitch in my matrix because now, I have to be more specific and thorough about my contents. It's no longer those dreamy and random thoughts on paper.
I completed the first two tasks with relative ease and renewed gusto at the thought of being able to finally write in public. After the session, it was as if I'd been jinxed! You know how you are immune to a certain thing because you're ignorant about it? Yes, that was me. Getting to know about seemed to remove my invincibility cloak and I was left vulnerable.
HOW TO OVERCOME IT?
During the bootcamp, we were made to understand what writer's block really is, the causes and possible solutions. Truth be told, there are several possible cure to this everywhere on the web. You just have to find the method that will work for you. The first step to overcoming the writer's block is to find the cause of the block in the first place and deal with it. There are various causes, these include:
- Self doubt and criticism: a feeling of 'I am not good enough'. Sometimes, we doubt ourselves and our capabilities, we feel our drafts or write-ups are not good enough (imposter syndrome) which can discourage us from writing and hence lead to the block.
- Burn out: which can be physical or mental fatigue as a result of our other engagements. A lot of technical writers have other jobs they are involved in and some of these jobs are physically and mentally challenging. This can also lead to a block.
- Perfectionism: this is closely related to self-doubt and criticism. Wanting to get the perfect article to publish can leave a negative impact on our inner writer. This can also lead to writer's block.
- Lack of motivation: this can be inner or external motivation. When people don't appreciate your work, it can lead to discouragement and this can also lead to a writer's block.
Identifying the cause of the block is the most important step to solving the problem. Other ways to overcome this include:
- Balance your inner critic: don't over criticize your write-ups. Give them a doubt because there is no perfect write-up anywhere. Try to encourage yourself and believe that your post will be of help to someone out there no matter how rough it may look.
- Talk to someone: talking to someone about your predicament might also help. That is the important of relationships. The person may have suffered from the same thing before and might help you in overcoming it.
- Rest: especially if the cause of your block is burn-out or fatigue. Take enough rest and you will be back on your feet in no time.
Motivate yourself: I chose to put this one separately for obvious reasons. Ask yourself why you are writing in the first place. If your primary reason is documenting your learning process, you don't necessarily need external motivation. If you are sharing your knowledge, appreciating your work is a good thing but don't despair if you don't get appreciated. Whatever it is, know that YOU ARE YOUR OWN BIGGEST FAN! Do with that information what you will.
HOW I OVERCAME MINE
I prefer not to refer to mine as writer's block in order not to jinx myself again. When I couldn't bring myself to write, I went to sleep. Easy right? 😎Truth is, I didn't actually sleep no matter how hard I tried. So, I started writing the article in my head as I lay on the bed for several minutes. I exhausted every possible approach in my head before I finally got what I wanted. I spent almost two hours lying down on the bed, ruminating on what I wanted to write. If I hadn't done that, there was nothing else I was going to do that would be productive, I had even tried coding but to no avail because my mind was heavily disturbed. When I'd gotten what I wanted , I stood up and began writing again.
Now, when I have something I'd like to write about, I make sure I 'sleep' on it first before putting it into writing. That way, I feel more secured and less helpless.
Footnote
A lot of people are going to read your posts and for reasons best known to them, they will not appreciate you. But do not despair. Rejoice in the fact that your post has helped someone. This article by Bruno Raljic is a testament to that fact. It's worthy of note that this article wouldn't have been possible without a little nudge from Ruth Ikegah. Thank you Ruth 🤗
So, writer's block anyone???
Till next time, this is me pouring out my fleeing thoughts on this tabula rasa again.
Emmanuel Marabe Omokagbo. November, 2020.