Writer’s block is defined as the inability of a writer to come up with new ideas to write on. During such episodes, writers find it difficult to process their thoughts clearly enough to write them down. Writer’s block is a common complaint among writers. It prevents writers from creating new content for a period of time; sometimes for many months. However, it is possible to get over or overcome writer’s block. Here are 7 ways in which you can overcome writer’s block.
Understand the root of your writer’s block.
The first step towards fixing writer’s block is to identify the root of the problem. People suffer from mental block for various reasons, such as: distraction, depression, lack of mental stimulation, poor sales of previous books etc. Whatever the reason may be for your writer’s block, you should recognize it, and find a solution to it. In some situations, once the reason for the non-flow of ideas is resolved, so is the writer’s block.
Engage in other activities.
When tackling writer’s block, taking some time off writing could be a solution. Creativity cannot be forced. So, in order to fix your problem, you might need to get away from the problem. Watch a movie, spend time with family and friends or do some other non-writing-related activity. This will prevent you from obsessing over the problem. After your hiatus, you are more likely to look at your mental block with a fresh set of eyes. In no time, your creative juices might just start flowing again.
Take a walk.
Walking is good for the health. It is also a great way to relax the mind. In addition to exercising your body and clearing your mind, ideas could come from people, things and places you come across, when taking a walk.
Read the works of other authors.
Leisurely reading the works of other writers or looking at other creative works such as movies has a way of stimulating your creativity. Creativity fuels more creativity. When you enjoy the works of other creatives or spend time discussing with them, there is a possibility that you would add to the conversation. Such activities are likely to ignite a spark that drives away your writer’s block.
Start writing early.
One other reason why writers suffer writer’s block is the pressure of deadlines. The closer a deadline is, the tenser a writer gets, especially if the bulk of the writing has not been done. Tension prevents ideas from flowing, and this leads to writer’s block. The advice, therefore, is: start working on your document, long before your deadline is close, in order to avoid the pressure which is likely to cause or increase writer’s block.
Write your first draft badly.
Wanting the first draft to be perfect is yet another reason why some creatives suffer writer’s block. Working to make a write-up perfect from the first draft is unrealistic. Understand that in most things in life, getting it right the first time is a myth. So, just start writing.
Take the pressure off yourself. Forget about perfection at the beginning. No write-up is perfect from the very beginning. There is usually something to edit or add. Remember that the first draft is for getting most of your ideas from your head onto the paper or computer. Second drafts and edits are meant for perfecting your writing, not your first draft.
Start from the end of your story.
The usual sequence of writing a story is from beginning to end. However, you could try reversing the order. Most story writers know how their stories end, even before they write down one word. What they then have to work on is creating events that lead up to that end.
For such works, you can start writing from the last scene to the scene before it, and so on. Fill out the details and lead up back to the beginning of the story, right from the end. With this method, you would find out that it might be easier to tell the story from the end to the beginning, and the work is done sooner than you imagined, in spite of your writer’s block.
Writer’s block is a common problem for writers. However, if you follow these 7 tips, you might just block off the writer’s block for good.
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