Breaking Through Writer's Block: A Professor's Journey

My name is Raymond Frey and I have been a Professor of History and the University Historian here at Centenary for the past 34 years. I mostly teach American history, but have also taught philosophy, sociology, world religions, and political science.  

I first met my future wife at Centenary in 1976 on a blind date. She was in the “Horsemaster” program, as Equine Studies was called back then. Forty-three years later, we are still in love. 

I told her when we were first married that if I became a professor, I would buy a farm, which we did—Four Mile Farm in Lafayette Township in Sussex County, in 1992. For twenty years I grew pumpkins and vegetables in the summer and sold fresh eggs, along with helping my wife and children run a working horse farm. 

For twenty-five years I was also a freelance writer, authoring three books—one on the history of Centenary—and contributed chapters and commentary to eleven more. I also wrote book reviews, encyclopedia and journal articles, newspaper stories and speeches.

I volunteered to write this column because I realized there are so many stories about Centenary that I never shared, and wanted to make sure they would be remembered. Through my research for the Centenary book and my many years here, I collected some amazing tales of life at Centenary. 

Crazy and wonderful things have happened, as you will see, and incredible people have passed through here. But that’s not all. I also want to share my writing experiences with all of you as well.

 So to our aspiring writers, this first essay is for you. Let’s begin!

I’m sitting in front of my computer, staring at a blank screen.

For my first piece, I decided to go with an essay I wrote a few years ago, but then thought I should write something brand new. An email from the editor wants me to have something ready by the end of the week—it’s now Wednesday. And then- Oh No! It’s returned— the dreaded WRITER’S BLOCK! What am I going to write about?

This has happened to me before…many times. Should I just go with the finished article? NO! I can beat this!

Another hour goes by. I’m surfing on another computer. 

And then it comes to me—why not write about Writer’s Block? Sheer genius! But what do I write? I know—I’ll start out telling a story to tease the reader to want more—an old writer’s trick. 

The human brain is wired for stories—this is why the great religious figures, philosophers, and mystics all used parables, which are stories that teach a lesson and are remembered.

As a former student, I honestly can’t recall anything I read in the boring textbooks I paid too much for at the bookstore, but will never forget the great stories our professors told us. So let’s start with a story. 

Writer’s Block

When I was a Ph.D. student in my last year, I had to write a dissertation, which is basically a large manuscript (mine was about 300 pages) probably only to be read by the three faculty members on my dissertation committee. 

I was on the job market and under a tight deadline to graduate, and still had several chapters to finish. With all of the stress, plus a baby on the way, I could not think of anything more to write. This went on for several weeks.    

One night, with just a few weeks before the deadline, I’m lying wide awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly, it all came to me—I could see the ending! I threw off the blankets and raced downstairs to my home office, put on a pot of coffee, and fired up my refurbished Epson desktop computer, which was the size of a dorm refrigerator, put in two floppy disks (if you don’t know what that is, ask someone over 50) and waited for the green screen to appear. 

And then—the keyboard came alive. I worked through the night and into the next morning. I called my boss and said I needed to stay home for a few days. I worked into the next night, afraid that sleep would erase my cranial hard drive and wipe out my thoughts. Three days later I wrote the last sentence--it was done!

I have been told that I am a fairly good writer, but must make a confession: I do not like to write. Can’t dance, can’t sing, can’t hit a golf ball—but I can write—guess this is my gift.  I just don’t like to do it.

My writing hero Ernest Hemingway once said that “Writing is hard work…If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” 

Like Ernie, I also find it difficult. And to make things worse, I’m a very slow writer, which got me into trouble several times. 

With both of my last two books, the publishers threatened to cancel my contracts if I went over the deadline. Fortunately, I managed to finish both manuscripts just one day before they were due. For the Centenary book, I camped out in the university archives in the library basement during 

Spring Break, working through the night and letting myself out in the morning. 

Why is this happening? I think it’s my fear of working many hours writing something that is so terrible it can’t be used. And life often gets in the way, and I just can’t concentrate or think of anything to say.          

So for all of my fellow Writer’s Block sufferers out there, here’s what I do. 

First, take a step back. Find some quiet time. Stay off the internet and put away the phone.

The day before I wrote this, I was thinking if I could produce something new so quickly. So after class, I went hiking. 

Being alone in the woods immediately clears my mind. As I walked, with a clear head now, the sentences started coming. A story outline appeared in front of me. 

When I got back to the car, I quickly scribbled some notes. Now the hard part—the writing.

The other thing that helps is to read. If you want to be a good writer, you need to read good writing, and you will find that reading widely will generate ideas. 

Sometimes I will go back and read my own published writings—see—you wrote before and you can do it again! 

My third trick is to “mind map” (you can read about mind-mapping on the internet). You don’t need a mind mapping program or app--I just use large newsprint sketch pads that I buy at the dollar store. 

There’s a drafting table in my office. I begin to jot down sentences, quotes, paragraphs, and ideas, connecting them with arrows or circling them. 

Writing in longhand on the large blank piece of paper is like a painter’s blank canvas. My felt pen is my paint brush; my words are the ideas in my mind coming to life. 

So look at this—I’m finished! I have broken through the writer’s block! 

Happy writing.