Jule Styne, a famous songwriter said, ‘Inspiration is for amateurs’. Words that word probably cause uproar in a creative writing class. What he meant was that inspiration alone is useless if you do not know your craft.
I believe that knowing your craft prevents writers block. I strongly believe that the major cause of writers block is due to lack of planning, not a lack of creativity.
I normally find that for me, Writer's Block is an indication to me that something's not right in the storyline I'm working on. Perhaps it has started to wander in a direction that I'm not happy with, perhaps I just don't like the scene I am blocked on very much.
Usually when I find myself blocked I make a backup of the main file, then delete the story as far back as it takes to reach the last scene which worked well for me. I will then continue writing from there. More often than not, this unblocks me and allows the story to progress.
I will also occasionally check my coffee levels and research. Running low on either coffee or inspiration will almost always result in a temporary block for me.
I think writer's block occurs when we have nothing to say. Having something to say is different to having a concept or a story idea; it's very easy to confuse these things with having something to say. In my opinion, a concept or a story idea is just a vessel for your message/what you want to say or convey.
I have found that the more I hone my craft the more I suffer from writer's block as I am growing and developing an understanding of my craft and what it is truly for.
'So? How would anyone get to know their craft if they were not inspired to write something (as best they can) in the first place?'
I did that and failed, David. I did not thoroughly outline my novel at the outset. I learned the hard way and wasted two years.. It was nothing to do with having a firm grasp of the aspects of the novel, or inspiration or creativity. I have always believed that I am naturally creative.
By craft I mean constructing a novel before you start writing. It means having the plot and storyline, the beginning, middle and end of my novel, and a list of working chapter titles.
Below is an example of what I mean by craft. It is how I would outline/plan a novel.
1) Working title of the novel.
2) One protagonist.
3) One main outcome, one main landmark event in the novel. (By main event, I mean an event vital to the plot and storyline, somewhere in or near the middle, that concerns the protagonist, and shows what the novel is about)
4) List of 5 or 6 six characters. What their functions in the novel are. What particular trait defines them from each other.
5) A list of working chapter titles. (The requires a lot of mental-masturbation) An average novel is 70,000 words. So how many working chapters can we think of to fit into an average novel. Probably not that many at first. So this is what I recommend, using an example of 35 chapters of 2,000 words.
Think of the beginning , middle and end of your novel. Then think of the key Landmark/Dramatic Events in the beginning, middle and end of your novel, and how your protagonist will get to each significant Landmark.
After your dramatic opening and cliffhanging ending to the first chapter, think of how your protagonist will get to the next Key Landmark, then the next, and, so on to the end of your novel.
If you can visualise the Key Landmarks/Dramatic Events in the plot and storyline, it should make filling in the empty chapter numbers with working titles easier. Planning like this will enable the writer to keep the plot and storyline as clear and as straight as possible.
1) Significant Landmark Event at the Start of the Novel. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist
2)
3)
4)
5)
6) Significant Landmark Event. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist.
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12) Significant Landmark Event. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18) Significant Landmark Event. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist
19)
20)_
21)
22)
23)
24) Significant Landmark Event. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
30) Significant Landmark Event. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist
31)
32)
33)
34)
35) Significant Landmark Event to End the Novel. Plot, Cause and Effect, Relating to the Protagonist
I am not an expert, but I hope that my example makes sense, and that I have made it clear what I mean by outlining a novel. Most want-to-be authors have little knowledge of how to construct a novel. It was the same for me. I was fuelled with inspiration. When I started writing I ploughed ahead in blissful ignorance. I am glad I backtracked to learn how to construct a novel. It is how successful authors produce a novel every year.
I hope that helps.
Good luck.