How To Fight Writers Block
hello, hello. hope everyone is doing well. as you can all tell, this post will be about how to fight writers block.
itâs really annoying to me when I hear people say âoh you donât have writers block, youâre just lazy.â
first of all, yes, I am naturally lazy. second of all, how dare you. writing isnât as easy as many think. granted, all you have to do is write down words on paper, but itâs not always easy to find the right words to express what you are feeling, or what you wish to say.
I have had terrible writerâs block for the last few days and itâs horrible! as a business owner or a small writing store, I have to be ready to write and fulfill my clientsâ ideas and orders.
itâs not easy. It takes a heavy toll on my imagination, and digs me a deep pit of blockage, drowning in the lack of originality because of the constant writing and repetition or certain phrases and sentences in different projects.
i am making this post in the hopes to remind myself about over coming the dreaded and sometimes skeptically believed writerâs block.
What is writerâs block?
Yeah, I know. We all know what that is, but let me define it.
is the state of being unable to proceed with writing, and/or the inability to start writing something new
some people believe it to be a real problem, others believe it's âall in your headâ
What Causes Writerâs Block?
in the 1970s, clinical psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios decided to find out
they concluded that there are four broad causes of writer's block:
Excessively harsh self-criticism
Fear of comparison to other writers
Lack of external motivation, like attention and praise
Lack of internal motivation, like the desire to tell one's story
How to overcome writer's block: 20 tips
1. Develop a writing routine:
Author and artist Twyla Tharp once wrote: âCreativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.â
it might seem counterintuitive
if you only write when you âfeel creative,â you're bound to get stuck in a tar pit of writer's block
The only way to push through is by disciplining yourself to write on a regular schedule. It might be every day, every other day, or just on weekends â but whatever it is, stick to it!
2. Use "imperfect" words:
A writer can spend hours looking for the perfect word or phrase to illustrate a concept
You can avoid this fruitless endeavor by putting, âIn other wordsâŚâ and simply writing what youâre thinking, whether itâs eloquent or not
You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for âin other words.â
3. Do non-writing activities:
one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone elseâs
Go to an exhibition, to the cinema, to a play, a gig, eat a delicious meal
immerse yourself in great STUFF and get your synapses crackling in a different way
Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty
free-writing involves writing for a pre-set amount of time without pause â and without regard for grammar, spelling, or topic. You just write.
The goal of freewriting is to write without second-guessing yourself â free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness, all of which contribute to writer's block. Hereâs how:
Find the right surroundings. Go somewhere you won't be disturbed.
Pick your writing utensils. Will you type at your computer, or write with pen and paper? (Tip: if you're prone to hitting the backspace button, you should freewrite the old-fashioned way!)
Settle on a time-limit. Your first time around, set your timer for just 10 minutes to get the feel for it. You can gradually increase this interval as you grow more comfortable with freewriting.
5. Relax on your first draft:
Many writers suffer form perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft
âBlocks often occur because writers put a lot of pressure on themselves to sound ârightâ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.â â editor Lauren Hughes
perfect is the enemy of good,â so don't agonize about getting it exactly right! You can always go back and edit, maybe even get a second pair of eyes on the manuscript
6. Donât start at the beginning:
the most intimidating part of writing is the start, when you have a whole empty book to fill with coherent words
instead of starting with the chronological beginning of whatever it is youâre trying to write, dive into middle, or wherever you feel confident
Have you ever noticed that the best ideas tend to arrive while in the shower, or while doing other âmindlessâ tasks?
research shows that when youâre doing something monotonous (such as showering, walking, or cleaning), your brain goes on autopilot, leaving your unconscious free to wander without logic-driven restrictions
showering is my favourite thing to do if I may add
8. Balance your inner critic:
successful writers have in common is the ability to hear their inner critic, respectfully acknowledge its points, and move forward
You don't need to completely ignore that critical voice, nor should you cower before it
you must establish a respectful, balanced relationship, so you can address what's necessary and skip over what's insecure and irrelevant
a change of scenery can really help with writer's block. However, that scenery doesn't have to be your physical location â changing up your writing tool can be just as big a help!
if youâve been typing on your word processor of choice, try switching to pen and paper. Or if you're just sick of Google Docs, consider using specialized novel writing software.
great advice from editor Lauren Hughes: âWhen blocked, try to see your story from another perspective âin the roomâ to help yourself move beyond the block. How might a minor character narrate the scene if they were witnessing it? A âfly on the wallâ or another inanimate object?
11. Exercise your creative muscles:
Any skill requires practice if you want to improve, and writing is no different! So if youâre feeling stuck, perhaps itâs time for a strengthening scribble-session to bolster your abilities
If your story has stopped chugging along, help it pick up steam by taking a more structured approach â specifically, by writing an outline
13. Write something else:
Though it's important to try and push through writer's block with what you're actually working on, sometimes it's simply impossible
feel free to push your current piece to the side for now and write something new
14. Work on your characters:
It follows that if your characters are not clearly defined, youâre more likely to run into writerâs block
15. Stop writing for readers:
write for yourself, not your potential readers
this will help you reclaim the joy of being creative and get you back in touch with what matters: the story.
this is something I really need to do. because of my etsy business i don't write for fun anymore, but instead as a business and a deadline. i'm going to have to pull out my old crappy wattled fanfics or write some new ones.
16. Try a more visual process:
when words fail you, forget them and get visual. Create mind maps, drawings, Lego structures â ideally related to your story, but whatever unblocks your mind!
17. Look for the root of it:
writerâs block often comes from a problem deeper than simple âlack of inspiration.â So let's dig deep: why are you really blocked? Ask yourself the following questions:
Do I feel pressure to succeed and/or competition with other writers?
Have I lost sight of what my story is about, or interest in where it's going?
Do I lack confidence in my own abilities, even if I've written plenty before?
Have I not written for so long that I feel intimidated by the mere act?
Am I simply feeling tired and run-down?
once you identify what's wrong, it'll be so much easier to fix.
If willpower isnât your strong suit and your biggest challenge is staying focused, try a site blocker like Freedom or an app like Cold Turkey
19. Let the words find you:
meditate, go for a walk, take that shower
Word Palette is a great app that features a keyboard of random words, allowing you to simply click your way to your next masterpiece.
You can also try AI auto-completers like Talk to Transformer, where you can enter a phrase and let the app âguess what comes next.â
even though they often produce nonsense, it's a great way to help that writer's block.
20. Write like Hemingway:
And if your biggest block is your own self-doubt about your prose, Hemingway offers suggestions to improve your writing as you go
it's a pretty cool app if you ask me.
it highlights your sentences (if need be) and makes suggestions on how to improve them!
well, there you have it! a lengthy post on how to fight writer's block. now i just hope i can combat my own soon.
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