"It’s not so much writer’s block as writer’s gap …. Meaning, you don’t have anything to say. To which you have only two responses: start writing about anything, and see if something emerges. Or get away from your desk and do something else that will fill you up."

Empty / from a working library

"I haven’t had trouble with writer’s block. I think it’s because my process involves writing very badly. My first drafts are filled with lurching, clichéd writing, outright flailing around. Writing that doesn’t have a good voice or any voice. But then there will be good moments. It seems writer’s block is often a dislike of writing badly and waiting for writing better to happen."

Jennifer Egan (via thebluehydrangea)

(Source: The Wall Street Journal, via libraryland)

"I learned to produce whether I wanted to or not. It would be easy to say oh, I have writer’s block, oh, I have to wait for my muse. I don’t. Chain that muse to your desk and get the job done."

Barbara Kingsolver, who worked for years as a technical writer. She considers the daily demand for copy (whether she wanted to write it or not) good practice for her work as a novelist. The whole interview is really good. (via ilovereadingandwriting)

(Source: advicetowriters.com, via libraryland)

"Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work."

Chuck Close

(via Austin Kleon)

"Writing is hard for every last one of us—straight white men included. Coal mining is harder. Do you think miners stand around all day talking about how hard it is to mine for coal? They do not. They simply dig."

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #48. What is it about comparing writing to coal mining? (See also.)

"I also like to remind myself of something my dad said to me once in re. writers’ block: “Coal miners don’t get coal miners’ block."

John Green (Paper Towns) answering ideas and inspiration questions.

Mockingbird

Harper Lee published one book, and never published another.

That’s genius? She had only one book inside of her, and then once she let it out she was finished for good and there was no reason to write another.

Or maybe she had writer’s block and couldn’t write another.

I remember reading once that she gave an interview claiming that she’d finished a second novel (finally!) but someone broke into her home and stole it. I thought that it was improbable that she didn’t have another copy.

Maybe that story is true, but also maybe it’s true that Harper Lee didn’t think she needed to write anything else.