Do you ever get writer’s block? Every time I try to write, it’s like a brick is being thrown at my head. I can’t seem to transfer my ideas on the page. When my English teacher told my class we were going to write an article, I was thinking that I was going to have a brilliant idea, and get it done quickly. Well, to be honest, I couldn’t choose an idea.

It’s not that I decided to scratch out the idea that I had before, it's just another one just pops into my head. Originally I was going to share my thoughts about another article, but I asked myself, “Does this really have a good angle?”

When I finally decide what I want to write about, I am usually good about starting my work. But as time goes on, I feel as if my head is drowning in a pool of unnecessary thoughts, that distract me from doing my work. When I do come back to thinking about writing, my brain just stops, and I can’t seem to think about what I want to do with my piece. People refer to this as the writer’s block.

What is writer’s block; why do we get writer’s block? The answer to all this is simple. You draw a blank when you are writing, but the real problem is that you are surrounded by everything that is constantly moving and interrupting your thoughts.

To be honest I get writer’s block a lot! And I know many other people do too, but they may not admit it. I’ve done some research as to why we get it, and I found answers that I feel like I can relate to. A few answers that some people can relate to are ADHD, anxiety, sleep problems, and stress. If you have ADHD, you can get distracted by anything around you, making you get off topic. Being in middle school and having many assignments, gives me anxiety and stress. I feel like people especially around my age worry too much. I also feel like most people stay up too late, either because of homework or because they watch T.V. It’s not easy when you are trying to think of a good idea off the top of your head and out of nowhere.

How did people discover writer’s block? Writer’s block has existed since the early invention of writing, but in the 1940s, psychiatrist Edmund Bergler discovered this term. Bergler spent years researching and conducting experiments. Over time, other people continued to research and follow through with Bergler’s idea.

Young people may feel pressured sometimes when they have to work on something without someone/something to guide them. I asked a couple of other middle schoolers about writer’s block. The popular answers recorded, for if these middle schoolers got writer’s block, were 50% yes and 50% sometimes. The answers they do to resolve this problem didn’t really surprise me. Some of them answered that they talk to a friend about it, and others answered that they list out their ideas on paper. The real cures for this are actually, caffeine, sleep, taking breaks, and relaxation. One student added, “Sometimes getting stuck when you are writing can be stressful, but I think it really helps if you list out all your ideas and then figure out which one works best!”

Writer’s block can be stressful, especially when you have a deadline. The funny thing is, I got writer’s block writing about writer’s block. You really just need to breathe and tell yourself you can do this. If something goes wrong, you can tell yourself that you will try again next time.