Empty Buffer: Writer's Block as an Input Problem

While learning to write better, I've gone down countless rabbit holes. I always do. To dive deep into the topic, I buy books & courses, read articles. Let’s call it “thorough research” (which is also kind of procrastination to be honest).

I stumbled upon Essay Writing Guide by Jordan Peterson. It’s concise, short and well-written. I highly recommend it. There’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a solid piece of advice. The interesting thing is that it’s written in example-to-exercise style.

And I found interesting passage:

There is, by the way, no such thing as reader’s block. If you can’t write, it is because you have nothing to say. You have no ideas. In such a situation, don’t pride yourself on your writer’s block. Read something. - Jordan Peterson

Sounds interesting. I’ve never come across such an idea.

The Input/Output Ratio

You can look at that from 2 perspectives. You either have no topics to write about or you don’t know enough about a topic to write about it. In both cases, you can read & dig deeper. To write an essay, you need 2 or 3 times more notes, by words.

• Input: Research, reading, and taking notes (Jordan says 5-10 books/articles per 1000 words 🤯)
• Processing: Synthesizing ideas and forming connections
• Output: Your written piece

As Sebastian Junger said:

If you have writer’s block, you don’t have enough ammunition.

Breaking the Block

Next time, you face writer’s block* or you can’t find topic.

1. Grab something to read. - I hope you have stacks of books to pick from. If you don’t message me, I’ll recommend something.
2. Read targeted materials
3. Take notes - highlighting is not taking notes; hand-written notes are the best 😉
4. (optional) Set a timer - if you have trouble with procrastination, research for a fixed period, then start writing.

The Research Trap

One more thing. If you love reading, watch out for one thing. Don’t get into procrastination mode. Learning & reading is easy. It’s "reactive". It doesn’t require much will power (or it’s just me). And it definitely doesn’t require inspiration.

Resources

If you’re looking for resources about writing, message me. While I'm working on compiling a comprehensive guide (it's in my backlog 😂), feel free to reach out if you need recommendations.

*Writer’s block by Wikipedia:

Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.