Do you sit down at your desk, your fingers ready to type, and then realize you have nothing to type?
Do you find yourself unable to think of a suitable topic for writing because it seems as if all your imaginary friends have left you, and all you’re left with is a computer?
Do you find yourself struggling to string together words for a sensible, interesting post?
If so, I’m afraid you may be suffering from writer’s block.
Unfortunately, all writers have to encounter writer’s block at some point, hence the name “writer’s” block. From mainstream authors to small bloggers, writer’s block prevents you from progressing in your writing, effectively stopping the creative process.
It’s like quicksand. You step into it, and if you can’t find a way out, you just keep sinking. The sand will keep pulling you in, and in, and in, until you’re entirely gone.
Luckily, you can get out of quicksand if you have a quick thinking friend and some rope.
It’s essentially the same with writer’s block except that your life is not on the line.
There are many ways to effectively combat writer’s block, so that when you encounter it, you have your safety rope ready.
- Spend some quiet time alone.
This sounds especially silly, but it is an effective tool to get out of writer’s block. You find that when you are sitting there, without your phone to distract you or without your little sibling to bother you, thoughts come more easily. Let your mind wander, and soon enough, you’ll find an idea for your post or for the piece of writing you are working on. - Take some time away from your writing.
Often times, you encounter writer’s block because you have been going at the piece of writing for an infinite amount of time, and your brain is telling you to rest. Let the piece of work rest. Work on other things that you have on your schedule. Take as much time away from your work as possible, from one day to a week. When you let the piece of work rest, you’ll find that when you return there will be a lot of pond scum in the writing.
Pond scum is often what you write from the top of your head. It sucks because you’re not giving it enough thought. And, often, when you’re writing something for an extremely long time, you get pond scum.
Taking a break from the writing allows you to come back and see what you wrote under a different lens. Through that way, you can improve your writing, and get back into the creative process. - Read other articles or books.
When I’m stuck in the creative process, I find that when I read other books or other posts on different blogs, I gain more material to put into my writing. I find inspiration and new ideas that I can add. Even when you are experiencing writer’s block, reading different pieces of writing can allow you to relax your mind while simultaneously creating new ideas that you can use in your own writing.
In fact, this entire post was inspired by reading the comments section on one of the posts I was looking at this morning!
Writer’s block is a serious illness in the writing world, and will often stop the creative process entirely. If you don’t have the correct tools, you’ll be stuck in that same place for a very long time.
What are your ideas on how to combat writer’s block?
Lots of love, and keep writing,
Jess
Chaos of Life 