Writer’s BlockThe Writer’s Mind

Writer’s Block Starts Writer’s Block Starts in the Mindin the Mind

In 1949, a Viennese émigré psychoanalyst living in the U.S., Edmund Bergler (1899-1962), created the metaphor-laden term, Writers Block, to describe the condition. In his 1949 book, The Writer and Psychoanalysis, Dr. Bergler proposed that writers block was a form of self-sabotage, or “psychic masochism,” that originated in early life experiences during the oral phase of development. Today, Writers Block tends to be viewed in a more pragmatic context…(Writing with a Psychoanalytic New Direction Edge)

The Inner CriticThe Inner CriticAdapted from Carolyn Kaufman, PsyDAdapted from Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD

“All of us have an inner Critic; unfortunately, its voice tends to be particularly strident when we sit down to write. “You’re no good at this,” it says. “Your ideas are stupid. Why would anyone want to read what you wrote anyhow?” Or maybe it waits until you’re actually pounding away at the keys. “That’s not the right word,” it announces. "You’re doing a terrible job of getting what’s in your head on the page. How can you call yourself a writer?”

Source of the Inner CriticSource of the Inner Critic Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud argues our mind is

constructed via Id (inaccessible, disorganized, pleasure-principle,

impulsive, selfish, amoral, destructive, present at birth) The Ego (reality-based, works to satisfy the Id in a

realistic way to benefit the being long-term, allows some risks if result is marginal, makes a being responsible for her actions, houses defense mechanisms when Id or Super Ego conflicts with reality, develops over time from birth)

The Super Ego (our conscience, influenced by others, especially those in “parental” roles, like teachers or society at large, desires perfection, contradicts the id, is the source of guilt and shame, and the inner critic)

The Super-EgoThe Super-Ego Develops over time from birth; this is why children are more reckless,

misbehaved, guiltless, innocent, and selfish than adults.

Develops because we “attach” to those “parental” figures and we want to please them. Because the Super Ego wants us to adhere to these “parental” expectations, it is punitive and ever-present. “Some of its favorite words and phrases are “should,” “have to,” “must,” “ought to,” “can’t,” “shouldn’t,” and “mustn’t.” Every single time you think or say these words, your superego is running the show” (Kaufman).

The Ego exists to mediate between the Id and Super Ego, so it creates defense mechanisms to negotiate the tensions.

Effects on the WriterEffects on the Writer Super Ego teaches us not to take risks with things we say because it fears we may say

something that upsets the “parental” figure

Super Ego functions by Secondary Gain, meaning we “self-sabotage” our efforts so that we avoid embarrassing, shameful, or disappointing results. i.e. You don’t share your work in class because the Super Ego tells you not to so that you can “gain”/avoid ridicule or rejection. It may even tell you that you don’t WANT to write because it wants you to avoid writing because you may fail.

The Id can be related to inspiration or fearless sharing of your writing in class or with others, but the Super Ego tells you that you will fail. It will tell you this every. single. time.

Ego (defense mechanisms) lends to what Aaron Burke calls: overgeneralization: viewing a negative event, like receiving a rejection letter from a

magazine, as proof of a larger pattern, i.e. that you are a failure across the board all-or-nothing-thinking: there’s rejection/failure and acceptance/success, and nothing in

between emotional reasoning: you feel like a failure, so you must be one

Confronting Your CriticConfronting Your Critic “ You have to know your enemy to fight it. If you were a detective hunting

down a villain, you’d need to know that villain’s techniques. Does he march right up to a victim, or does he sneak in the back door? What does he say to the victim to disarm him? What tricks does he play to make the victim think he’s a friend?...Until you can hear all of its insults, you won’t know when or how to fight back…

Once you start to pay attention, you’ll notice that the Critic knows just which things will make you feel the worst, and it repeats those things the most. Part of what makes it so virulent is it knows your deepest insecurities and fears, and those are what it uses against you. It’s successful because you’re afraid those things are really true. ..Worse, it’s stealthy enough that most of the time you’re not consciously hearing what it’s saying to you. You’ve been listening to it for so long you hardly even notice its voice. Instead, you assume that your reactions or fears are based in objective reality” (Kaufman)

Remember: Remember: Writer’s Block is defined as an inability to write

FOR SOME OTHER REASON than SKILL or CAPABILITY, meaning there is something else preventing you from writing: Your Inner Critic.

You are NOT your writing.

Failure is kind of just part of the deal.

Confronting Your Inner Confronting Your Inner Critic With Writing: Critic With Writing:

Write a letter to your Inner Critic write and fill in the following: Dear Inner Critic:

If you were a person, I imagine this is what you would look like:

I know you want me to fail at writing. I know you think my writing is (write two things):

But, actually, when I write, I’m pretty good at (write two things):

Revealing Your ShadowRevealing Your ShadowRead through the Writing Ideas and journal about something that reveals your shadow. A time you did something awful that you haven’t told anyone or almost no one. Something you’d be embarrassed for the class to know or your parents to know.