"...it seemed to me that I had undertaken a theme too lofty for myself, so that I did not dare to begin writing, and I remained for several days with the desire to write and the fear of beginning."
Sound familiar? Have you ever had the impulse to start on a path forward and then been struck with a sort of paralysis of fear and self-doubt? Your every intention, every impulse yearns to move forward, and yet something in your head and heart holds you back.
Dante wrote those words in Vita Nuova in the thirteenth century, though I suspect writer's block has been around since storytellers began telling stories.
Compounding Dante's problem was the fact he was referring to love, and his feelings for Beatrice, who inspired his love poetry. Writing about romance can be particularly challenging. Love is universal and yet unique to each of us. Romance has been parsed and described and examined by writers through the ages. Is it possible to write a love story in fresh and compelling ways? I ask myself that question constantly, and even when I'm positive the answer is No, I try to keep writing.
Dante kept writing too. It's the best cure for writer's block I've found.
What do you do when anxiety about your writing strikes? Any tried and true strategies for getting back on track?
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