Writer's block

A Writer's block is a psychic phenomenon, upon the occurrence of the authors do not are able to permanently or temporarily to write. Among them especially writers, journalists and students suffer when writing house and Thesis.

Manifestations

Specifically, a writer's block have the following forms:

  • It is difficult to find a text beginning.
  • Although the text is planned, but it is possible not to write it.
  • The writing process - often several times - interrupted and often quite aborted.
  • The ideas and / or the formulations remain off.
  • The writing is perceived as painful. Frequently occur already at the thought of completing the thesis or at the sight of the screen physical symptoms such as discomfort or nervousness, and it will avoid actions such as tidying up, cleaning, etc. performed.
  • Passages from other texts are not reproduced in their own words, but it is quoted verbatim. Your own text becomes too extensive and there are breaks. Both often leads to termination.

Similar blockages can also occur in other areas of communication, for example, in the visual arts (character blockade ). - The opposite of writer's block, the write penalty ( Hypergraphie ). Both phenomena can also at one and the same author occur, with a writer's block may suffer each, while the often morbid writing constraints occur much less frequently.

Causes

In counseling sessions with blocked writers, among others, the following reasons could locate:

  • Missing or inadequate concepts.
  • Complexes composed of several " narrative threads " existing and therefore difficult manageable structure to be written texts.
  • A "too much " to be verschriftlichendem material or disorder of the same.
  • An inadequate or misleading with respect to any future readers, particularly the fear of a very critical reader, for example, before the professor who will judge a house or dissertation.
  • Another cause Flaherty called psychological problems, especially depression or bipolar disorder.
  • Neurologically writer's block to be associated with dysfunction of the brain lobe.

Overcoming writer's block

In contrast to the morbid and applicable as incurable compulsion to write writer's block generally can be overcome well. Experienced writers succeed in this mostly unassisted. In serious cases, students can turn to the set up counseling centers at many universities. The working there professionals ( psychologists and trained writing consultants) to develop with the client first a (provisional ) diagnosis and to explore the details of each fault: since when does it occur? For example, already in school essays or only in degree? Just recently, or in previous papers? Which types of text? Rather, when planning or rather in formulating? What occurs when writing easy and what hard? Could also psychological problems play a role? Turns out that inadequate writing strategies are important, develop the Advisory - back together with the students - alternative strategies.

Writer's block in literature and film

Writer's block (and its overcoming ) are a quite popular theme in fiction literature and film, which shows that the writer's block can be used for inspiration itself. The writer Stephen King, for example, brings his own experience an equal in several novels.

Authors who were suffering from serious writer's block known:

Writer's block in novels:

Writer's block as a theme in the movie:

  • Eight and a Half
  • Adaptation.
  • Barton Fink
  • Californication ( TV series)
  • Secret Window
  • The truth about men
  • Forrester - Found!
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • Deconstructing Harry
  • Throw Momma from the train!
  • Stranger than Fiction
  • Shakespeare in Love
  • Shining
  • Smoke
  • Swimming Pool
  • Tango Lesson
  • The Wonder Boys
  • Without limit
J. R. R. Tolkien Robert Walser (writer) The Shining (novel) Jean-Philippe Toussaint Peter Bieri (author) Robert Menasse Californication (TV series) The Shining (film) Swimming Pool (Film) Wonder Boys (film) Limitless
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