CHEKHOV BLOG - Writer's Block

Thoughts about the writer's block and what this class offers against it

I want to talk about the writer's block, because we treated that topic in class and I also saw posts containing thoughts about it. First I think, it is very helpful to learn things like the language devices we collected on the blackboard. It is astonishing, how many possibility language offers.

But to me, this is the same with the action or the plot. When we had to invent the short drama with 2 out of our 3 wants, set in a place mentioned by the others in class (also collected on blackboard) within 20 minutes, I thought, "I won't be able to finish that in 20 minutes".

While I was doing it, my tension vanished, though. I became aware of exactly the fact, I mentioned above. There are millions of revelations or solutions to all plot or language problems. Therefore, I think this exercise was helpful.

But another aspect of this lesson is important. Because, still, if we could pull one or several revelations for the plot out of the hat, it would not be a good piece of work in my opinion. I have written many texts of all kinds, scientific texts as a student, worked as a journalist for 6 different newspapers in my hometown and as I said in my introduction, I am publishing a small satire magazine together with one friend of mine. 

The written texts and the contents of my different written works thus varied a lot. But overall, it is important to say, that a text generally would always improve, if I would take a second, a third look at it. Also I think it is important for DRAMA purposes to imagine the person, better the person and the situation given or needed. If you do this, it can't be completely wrong.

And as we have seen, e.g. regarding the settings or the language devices on blackboards, you can relax. That is, because there are so many POSSIBLE solutions. The next important step should be for us, to learn how to IMPROVE the allegedly shitty first drafts.