I don’t know if you have ever experienced writer’s block (haha), but I definitely have. And while I would not consider myself an expert on overcoming this troublesome mental block, I do have a goodish amount of experience dealing with it. So today I am sharing with you 5 ways to overcome writer’s block:
1. Write whatever.
Just write something. Don’t worry about how messy it is. This is just to break your writer’s block. More likely than not, you won’t be sharing what you write. So no need to overthink or edit. Just get something out in writing. You can do something that is totally out of your usual genre, but if you want to write within your usual genre, that’s fine too. Just be very careful not to overthink things. It is fine for this piece to be a mess.
For example, I like writing historical fiction, but if I’m writing a historical fiction piece simply to overcome a bout of writer’s block, I’m not going to spend a lot of time looking up random historical facts to keep my piece accurate. This is about writing, not about keeping it accurate.
2. Write when you feel like it.
Often when I have writer’s block, I’ll get an idea or feel an urge to write, but I’ll resist, telling myself that I haven’t written in a while so I definitely have writer’s block and won’t be able to write anything worthwhile anyway. Don’t be like me! When you feel the urge to write, do it! Don’t stop to give it a second thought. Write something down, get your creativity flowing. This will be a huge step to breaking your writer’s block. The more you argue with yourself about writing, the worse your writer’s block will become.
3. Write about writer’s block.
I know this one probably sounds like a corny idea that won’t work, but hear me out. This has actually been one of the most reliable ways to break my writer’s block. If you can’t think of anything to write about, write about not being able to write. (Hopefully that made sense.) That way you can’t make the excuse that you don’t know what to write about. I use this one all of the time, and I don’t remember it ever having failed me. (Though sometimes it takes a while for me to write about something other than writer’s block.)
4. Read.
I will admit that this one doesn’t always work right away for me. But it does stand to reason that if you can’t output any writing, maybe it’s because you’ve drained your brain of inspiration. (Sorry for the less than eloquent wording.) That’s when reading comes in handy. For me this isn’t a quick fix to the writer’s block dilemma, but it usually works after I’ve taken the time to thoroughly saturate my mind with new ideas and inspiration. When I see what others have done through writing, it gives me the urge to write again myself.
5. Prioritize your goals.
Ask yourself what is actually keeping you from writing. Is it really a lack of words or inspiration? Or is it because you have other things you’ve been putting off? Things like cleaning your room, answering your emails, following up with a friend, reading your Bible. Even something as simple as going for a walk. Whatever it is, get it done before you try to write. A lot of times these other tasks are distracting us from actually getting any writing done. And the longer you put them off, the worse it will get. So best to get them done before they are too long overdue.
Conclusion
So those are 5 ways to overcome writer’s block. Obviously some of them work better than others at different times for me, and this differs from person to person. As a matter of fact, I had a bit of writer’s block when it came to writing today’s post. I basically could not think of anything in the category of writing that I felt like writing about. So I utilized trick 3 and wrote about writer’s block! So yes, that one definitely works. (Well, for me at least.)
Anyway, I’m interested in hearing your opinion. Have you tried any of these tricks before? Do you have any other tips for overcoming writer’s block? Did you find this post helpful? If so, I may do a Part 2 sharing some more tips for overcoming writer’s block.
P.S. You can also follow me at my other blog, Kenmore Pines 1, here.
To learn more about this blog check out my blog launch post here.