Ocean Vuong Dismisses Writer’s Block Myth In Oprah’s Latest Book Club Episode

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Ocean Vuong, a critic who had recently become the cool favorite of Oprah’s book club with the nomination of ‘The Emperor of Gladness,’ just veered off the creative tangent, leaving Twitter on fire. In one of the most circulated clips from the recent episode of ‘Oprah’s Book Club’ Presented by Starbucks, Vuong denied the existence of writer’s block, saying it was a fabricated term tied to productivity pressures. The clip can be found fittingly on Oprah’s YouTube channel and scattered across various podcast outlets that provide a capsule version of the breakdown as to why Vuong feels that the theory of “being blocked” holds no water.

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‘Writer’s block is in relation to productivity,’ Vuong begins in the video. ‘Block according to whom? Block according to what measure of production?’ The point being: The struggle to write isn’t some mystical force stopping creativity. It is part of the process. When he says he can’t write, he does not consider himself blocked or in failure; in a strange way, it is all productive. ‘That’s what the genius grid is all about,’ he started to explain when he was cut off.

Fans, most of them praising Vuong’s refreshingly candid view, had come to his defense in the comments. One user wrote, “I love that he doesn’t believe in that—it’s all about how we define it and reframing it,” with a second voice stating, “We need to re-assess what it means to be productive.” Many other commenters felt that Oprah should have let Vuong finish his thought: “He really said ‘block… to whom?!’ 😂😂😂” was one, followed by, “Block… about whaaaaat?!”

And this gave a continuing writer the opportunity to present their own perspective: ‘I’m a writer, and I only struggle when I feel conflicted about my storyline. And when I do, I just write anyway. Even if badly.’ To back it up, the person quoted the Taoist saying: ‘When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.’

The discussion and meltdowns grew even warmer than the topic since a skeptic wondered if it might be satire entirely: “Half the time I can’t tell if this is an onion-type satire or a real interview.” There are others who just want to be bathed in Oprah vibes: “Oprah’s voice holds multitudes—wisdom, warmth, and the whisper of home.”

Becoming more important as it has relevance in the land of productivity, Vuong’s view denies the existence of the authorial block, which challenges the hustle culture that most creatives feel locked in today. And even if one disagrees with him, his words go a long way when it comes to questioning the idea of doing, or not doing, within a schedule someone else has set.

Acting as one of many episodes on the ongoing Oprah Book Club series that has been showcasing powerful literary voices for decades, the newest installment should already be well on the way to buzzing of healing its hype as ‘A masterpiece’ together with its supporting content—from reels to podcast deep-dives.

So, do you feel writer’s block is something real? Ocean Vuong says no. And, well, maybe that is the ticket for most of us to finally let go of the anxiety and begin writing—or not writing—at our own pace.

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This conversation is far from dying down anytime soon. And if you ask me, judging from the reaction, it is fairly evident that Vuong’s comments have struck a chord—or at least invited some new questions. That said, who knows? Maybe the real block was the pressure we put on ourselves all along.