6. “Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?” | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

10 Scarily Accurate Quotes About Writer's Block

It's every writer's worst nightmare...

18
Writer's Block

In This Article:

If you're a student, or have ever attended school, then chances are you've come in contact with this scary thing called writer's block. It's every writer's worst fear, when suddenly it seems like your mind stops working and you can't possibly get another word down on the page. It can be anything from school assignments, professional articles, and story ideas. In fact, I have a fresh batch of writer's block right now. Instead of just sitting here staring at the blank page, I took the advice of poet Charles Bukowski, who famously said "writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all."

I figured I'd do just that and write about writer's block. Or at least, have other writer's write about writer's block for me. No one can seem to agree on the best way to cure writer's block, why it actually happens, or if it even actually exists. But every single idea seems scarily accurate to what I'm feeling so if you're feeling it too, here are a collection of quotes that will make you feel less alone and frustrated, and may even inspire you to start writing again.

1. “The wonderful thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting.The terrifying thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting.”

Giphy

-J.K Rowling

2. "It's not the fear of writing that blocks people, it's fear of not writing well, which is something quite different."

Giphy

-Scott Berkun

3. “I don’t believe in writer’s block. If I can’t write, I go out and live. Then, if I’m a writer, I’ll find something to write.”

Giphy

-Peter Arpesella

4. "Writer's Block: When you're imaginary friends refuse to talk to you."

Giphy

-Anonymous

5. “Writer’s block is my unconscious mind telling me that something I’ve just written is either unbelievable or unimportant to me, and I solve it by going back and reinventing...Writer’s block is never solved by forcing oneself to “write through it,” because you haven’t solved the problem that caused your unconscious mind to rebel against the story..."

Giphy

-Orson Scott Card

6. “Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?”

Giphy

-Kurt Vonnegut

7. "There is no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write."

Giphy

-Terry Pratchett

8. “I deal with writer’s block by lowering my expectations. I think the trouble starts when you sit down to write and imagine that you will achieve something magical and magnificent — and when you don’t, panic sets in. The solution is never to sit down and imagine that you will achieve something magical and magnificent. I write a little bit, almost every day, and if it results in two or three or (on a good day) four good paragraphs, I consider myself a lucky man. Never try to be the hare. All hail the tortoise.”

Giphy

-Malcolm Gladwell

9. "If you imagine the world listening, you'll never write a line."

Giphy

-Erica Jong

10. "Writer's block is just a symptom of feeling like you have nothing to say, combined with the rather weird idea that you should feel the need to say something. Why? If you have something to say, then say it. If not, enjoy the silence while it lasts. The noise will return soon enough."

Giphy

-Hugh Jackman

Honestly, writing is one of the greatest but hardest things to do. It's challenging, it's inspiring, and it's wonderful. I would gladly spend the rest of my life writing, and I know in doing so I will encounter writer's block yet again.

I wish all you writers the best, and hope these quotes at least made you feel a little better, and at most gave you the perfect idea for your next line.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

3853
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302718
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments