Shaking hands, sweaty palms, and hundreds of crushed paper (or backspaces) are some words that can very easily describe the writing process, or a writer in action. While diving into books that take us to a far away fantasy land seems the most exciting thing to do, or filling oneself with facts and life lessons seems a good pass time, the writing process isn't exactly the most pleasing picture. Coming up with an idea, and penning it down, seems easy, doesn't it? But there's more. Oh, finding a publishing site or company that accepts your idea, then run back and forth until they get your work done, isn't it? But there's more.

Writer's block. Perhaps one of the most dreaded words in the dictionary of an author. And what exactly is writer's block? Webster's dictionary defines it as "a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece". A "Psychology Today" article claims this to be the "getting into the chair and staying there" process, sharing how difficult is it to start a project, and "sticking with it".

So while we've seen it in the bigger scale, from the first cases being from the early 19th century, and the rapid growth of the term by the French authors, it is quite possible in the small scale as well. Writing essays to submit for grading, or an anxiety due to a written speech, can cause loss of inspiration, or loss of motivation to continue with the project. So what exactly causes this? Susan Reynolds, an expert writer and psychologist, claims that although this condition isn't a exactly psychological , it IS a challenging mental that explores various uncomfortable aspects like experimentation, uncertainty and vulnerability.

Although the condition may be controversial, it is still an existent issue, with some reasons such as:

a. FEAR:

Fear while writing occurs when one gets too self conscious and fearful presenting one's ideas, and a fear of getting judged or criticized overtakes. Although fear is completely normal, too much of it results in writers not making it.  

b. PERFECTIONISM:

While it seems fine to do one's very best, perfectionism can turn overwhelming. Although in some cases perfectionism is used as a protective shield from criticism , rewriting the same words again and again to make it "perfect", leaves the writer never writing a single word again.

c. BURNOUT:

While burnout isn't exactly the loss of ideas, or imagination, it is the exhaustion due to pushing oneself way to much, often due to an internalised idea that they should be working.. all the time. Fueled by capitalism and the shaky economy, this hit especially the creative sector, making them believe that they could've done "more", could've spent more time with their projects. This takes the enjoyable task and converts it into a list of tasks, which then tangles it with resentment, anxiety and total avoidance.

d. SELF - CRITICISM:

Everyone needs constructive criticism, but when that turns into bashing oneself with mean comments, the results aren't the best. When "self critical" tendencies impede one's ability to thrive, any benefits are overshadowed by the harm caused to the mental well-being.

Thus, whether or not writer's block is a psychological condition, it is very much disturbing and exhausting, as living with the constant fear does not let the author even celebrate the milestones in their writing journey. According to me, the best method of overcoming this little by little would be switching stuff up. Changing scenarios or writing from a different perspective, or doing what is called "free writing". By bringing the joy back to work by taking little steps, and removing the fear of imperfections, the strenuous task at hand, may turn into the simplest one!