Dealing With Writer’s Block: A Conversation with Tony Abbott

By Ellie Powers, Apollon Editor Spring 2021

Starting his career as a poet and then turning his focus to children’s books, Tony Abbott has had much experience within the world of writing and publishing. When asked about how to effectively deal with a case of writer’s block, Abbott had much advice to offer. 

When talking with students from Fairfield University’s undergraduate ENGL 4952 Publishing Practicum course, Abbott was asked about how to effectively deal with a case of writer’s block. “I hate the idea of writer’s block. I think you can create your own enemy by saying ‘I can’t do this,” Abbott said. Writer’s block is something that many, if not all, writers occasionally experience, and it can be incredibly frustrating. During the discussion, Abbott provided Fairfield students with his advice on how to effectively work through a case of writer’s block. 

When dealing with writer’s block, a writer feels as though they are being restricted in their creative abilities. This ultimately leads to feelings of doubt that can discourage and prevent individuals from putting forth their best work. According to Abbott, “one possible cure for that… is to do something completely different.” By turning one’s attention away from writing and doing something as simple as going for a walk, playing a musical instrument, or even taking a nap, an individual is then “using a different part of their brain and letting the other part relax.” In doing so, a writer allows for their brain to recharge before returning to a writing project.

Taking a break from the writing process is not the only piece of advice that Abbott had to share. Sometimes authors will experience writer’s block at a particular point of a project, “somewhere where you can’t see or understand.” When Abbott experiences this, he has found that returning to the beginning of his work and “reading it as a reader does with no expectations or knowledge of what is going to happen next” is extremely beneficial. In doing so, a writer will potentially pick up on events or details that have been forgotten about and will then be inspired on how to effectively move forward. 

Writer’s block is something that many authors experience. When this happens, it is important that writers work hard to remain calm and motivated. Abbott concluded his discussion on writer’s block by noting, “Give yourself a lot of credit, and don’t think that the problem is you so much. Just sort of go outside of yourself and then come back in. I think that you’ll find that there are ways to work around it.”