Explorer's Block - Alan's Blog

The Wikipedia page for writer’s block is vague and general, describing it as the inability to write for any reason, but I’d like to operate for this post under the following simple definition: need to write, have ideas, but can’t seem to produce sentences to express them. Writer’s block is really just an example of a generalized psychological sensation characterized by feeling that ideas exist but don’t seem to be manifesting or formulating concretely into actions. This can happen in any field that requires creative problem solving or demands an immense amount of concentration and effort. For example, it’s happened personally in both computer science and mathematics - a “programmer’s block” and “mathematician’s block,” respectively, if you will. I feel like this sensation is inevitably experienced by anyone pushing the boundaries of what they know. A wave of new concepts and unfamiliarity swarm our minds, causing the train of thought to sputter to a halt. Well, of course: what type of

The Wikipedia page for writer’s block is vague and general, describing it as the inability to write for any reason, but I’d like to operate for this post under the following simple definition: need to write, have ideas, but can’t seem to produce sentences to express them. Writer’s block is really just an example of a generalized psychological sensation characterized by feeling that ideas exist but don’t seem to be manifesting or formulating concretely into actions. This can happen in any field that requires creative problem solving or demands an immense amount of concentration and effort. For