“Before this class, I thought there was something wrong with me – that I must not really want to be a writer since I wasn’t writing. Now I know there’s neurological and psychological reasons for it and, even better, there are solutions! I’ve written more in the past few weeks than I did in the six months prior to taking this class.”
Student evaluation from the Around the Writer’s Block class (previously called Writer’s Resistance)
Music to my ears! That’s exactly what I want that class and this blog to do: help writers understand the causes of resistance and apply the solutions. So today, we take a look at the neurology of resistance. (Volume 14, Issue 2 of Imagination InkLinks provides a more in-depth explanation.)
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to write, if you’ve ever wondered why you can come up with so many excuses not to write, if you ever thought you didn’t want it enough or that you didn’t have enough discipline, will power, ambition or talent, let me assure you: Writing resistance is normal. Resistance is caused by the way the human brain works, not because you’re flawed.
The human brain is actually three brains in one: the brain stem (aka the reptile or lizard brain), the limbic system (aka the mammal or leopard brain) and the cerebral cortex (aka the human or learning brain). Your desire, commitment and ability to write all reside in your cerebral cortex. As long as your cortex is in charge, you’re good to go as a writer.
But, when you’re threatened or stressed, a structure in the brain stem called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) shifts control from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system, effectively shutting off the cortex’s ability for nuanced, innovative thinking and sophisticated analysis. You’re still conscious, you can still speak and calculate, so you usually don’t know that the cortex is offline, but what you say and how you act is based on the fight-or-flight instinct and previous training.
This limbic system takeover cancels the urge and intention to write. Even if you can force some words onto the page while your limbic system is in charge, you can’t write as creatively and effectively as you can when your cerebral cortex is in charge. And if that’s not bad enough, the cortex does a very poor job of recognizing when it’s not in charge, which leaves you feeling confused, embarrassed and guilty about your resistance.
The many forms of resistance are all behaviors caused by the limbic system’s instinct to first freeze (writer’s block, initial inertia), and then choose to fight (self-criticism, sabotage) or flee (procrastination, distractions, looking for answers in the fridge, etc.).
There are, as the opening quote promised, solutions. In the next post, I’ll tell you how to get your RAS to switch your cerebral cortex back online so you can write again.
[...] her writing. “Start a new sentence” is small enough to avoid the stress that would trigger a limbic system takeover that causes resistance. Each step is easy and leads naturally to the next step. Writing one sentence usually triggers [...]
[...] of the neatest articles I’ve seen from Roseanne is how the brain moves from the limbic system [...]
Thanks for listing BaneOfYourResistance as one of the 5 Blogs No Writer Should Miss!
If anyone is curious about the other 4 blogs no writer should miss, go to http://blog.writanon.com/2010/11/08/5-blogs-no-writer-should-miss/
[...] We come back to the fact that we don’t have a brain… we have a brain system. (For more info, click here.) And the brain system has subsystems. Here’s how it breaks down with the three brain networks [...]
Rosanne,
Thanks for the reminder and boost. It reminds me of the great job you did with coaching when I lived in the Twin Cities. Now in Albuquerque it’s gret to have the moral support. I have an interim between jobs right now, so have a little more time to dig into creativity.
Karen
Karen,
What neat synchronicty – I was just thinking about you last week and wondering what you’re up to. It’s good to hear you’re still creating! What’s your current passion?
This is really interesting. I can’t wait for your next post. I just take the words “writing” and substitute “painting”. You are really helping me. Thanks. Relatives here this week but Bob is gone the following week so maybe I will really get my paints out. I love the graphics.
Thanks Fay! It good to know the blog helps other artists as well as writers.
I feel a million pounds lighter! I have been wndering around beating myself up for not being able to write. Now I see that with all of the stresses in my life lately, there actually is a reason for my blockage.
Please write the next post with the solutions!
I am looking forward to taking a class of yours at the Loft-Sarah Tieck and others speak very highly of your teaching skills!
Please write next post! I need help!
Joni,
I’m delighted you’re so eager for the next post. It’s in the works and will be posted soon. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at a recent issue of my Imagination InkLinks creativity newsletter on relaxation tips that re-engage the cortex.