Fergus McNeill
Many years ago, as part of my day job, I was lucky enough to attend a screenwriting seminar with Robert McKee. He's a very astute, very forthright man, although most of us weren't aware of this at the time.
Early in the seminar, he asked, "Who wants to know about dealing with writer's block?"
Several hands shot up.
McKee prowled across the stage and gazed out over the audience.
"The thing about writer's block is... there's no such thing." A hush fell across the room. McKee paused, letting that sink in, then delivered the hammer blow. "There's lack of research, or lack of talent. Which is your problem?"
All the hands went down.
It sounds harsh, but he went on to explain that, if you can't write a particular scene and make it interesting, if you can't make it real, then it means you probably don't know it well enough.
Years later, when I was working on my first novel, I remembered this, and started writing "on-location" - walking where my characters walk, and trying to see everything through their eyes. It's like stepping onto the film-set of my story, and it always burns the writer's block away.
Early in the seminar, he asked, "Who wants to know about dealing with writer's block?"
Several hands shot up.
McKee prowled across the stage and gazed out over the audience.
"The thing about writer's block is... there's no such thing." A hush fell across the room. McKee paused, letting that sink in, then delivered the hammer blow. "There's lack of research, or lack of talent. Which is your problem?"
All the hands went down.
It sounds harsh, but he went on to explain that, if you can't write a particular scene and make it interesting, if you can't make it real, then it means you probably don't know it well enough.
Years later, when I was working on my first novel, I remembered this, and started writing "on-location" - walking where my characters walk, and trying to see everything through their eyes. It's like stepping onto the film-set of my story, and it always burns the writer's block away.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more