Writer’s block. The bane of an author’s existence. There are multiple causes of this frustrating state, each of them with their own solutions. One thing that is probably good for most of them is sheer perseverance and a determination to force yourself to put one word after the other.
A certain type of writer’s block, however, can’t really be fixed that way. Sometimes, it’s not a matter of will, knowledge, or mood. There’s one type of writer’s block that can be a result of something far more problematic, and it will threaten the whole structure of your story. Specifically, I am speaking of the type that comes from an unwitting deviation from your core philosophy.
Understanding Your Foundation
A lot goes into the art of story writing. The craft can be approached from every angle, and countless books have been written on every conceivable aspect of the process. Character, theme, setting, style–every one of these is a vitally important component of the whole. They are the building blocks of narrative. However, when many people start out writing, they will typically be at a loss at how to actually develop and implement these components. A big part of this is plain inexperience at the craft. Story writing is a skill to be developed just like any other. Another element that I think plenty people lack, and which I believe helps tremendously in creating a good narrative, is the recognition of underlying philosophy. Character, theme, setting, and style are all essential building blocks, but the author’s underlying worldview is the foundation upon which these elements are set. The foundation is what allows the pieces to be placed in a solid structure.
That is not to say that there are people who write without an underlying philosophy. In fact, it is impossible not to. Your personal philosophy, how you view the world, is inseparable from everything you do. Everything you write is a reflection of your philosophy. Every character, every theme, every world that you create, and the style with which you present it all is a manifestation of your worldview. If you do not recognize that, you can run into problems. What do I mean? Well, you can run into incongruencies. You can run into contradictory elements of mismatched characters and themes. This can come about either from internal contradictions within your worldview or contradictions between your worldview and and element that you have tried to adopt from someone else’s worldview.
For example: Let us take two contradictory elements. We will create a character and call him Carl. My apologies to everyone named Carl, but this character will be someone who enjoys brutally killing criminals through vigilantism. This will be our story’s protagonist. Now, what about a theme? Well, let’s take something that will create conflict when put up against Carl. That’s writing 101. The theme will be vigilante murderer brought to justice. Perfect. Fits like a glove. There’s no way this narrative can go wrong.
But as you write the story, you end up hitting a wall. You get horrible writer’s block. You’re practically at the end of your story, but you just can’t seem to figure out how it’s supposed to wrap up. What’s the trouble? You look back and see things weren’t as simple as they first seemed. As good authors typically do, you made Carl a strong compelling character. You gave him strong motives, and it turns out his reasoning for carrying out vigilante justice is really solid. You actually agree with him. You come to realize that you can’t work the theme of vigilantism being punished because you don’t actually believe in that theme. Carl being brought to justice no longer feels like justice. So what even is the theme anymore?
And that is what can result from not recognizing your own underlying worldview. Your story can end up getting thrown completely off the rails. It’s not uncommon. In fact, I’d hazard a guess that nearly all writers will run into this issue of not actually understanding their own position on things before creating their narratives. And that’s actually part makes writing so worthwhile. It forces you to think about issues you otherwise probably wouldn’t, in greater depth than you could have imagined. Once you have delved into your own worldview, figuring out what you believe and why you believe it, that in turn will up your game in crafting compelling, cohesive stories.
My Philosophy
To give an example of foundational worldview, I’ll give my own.
My own underlying worldview is one based upon the Christian Scriptures. The Bible is an incredibly rich and powerful foundation upon which to base your moral and philosophical outlook. The principles it teaches apply to every area of life and allow you to grasp every aspect of humanity and the world around us. It is incredibly coherent, consistent, and profound. All these qualities make it an exquisite base upon which to build narrative. I’ll give you a glimpse of some of the verses that grounded me while writing my novel.
Getting started: