5 ways to beat the illusion of writer’s block from a writer with writer’s block
So you think you have writer’s block? It’s that term you’ve heard being tossed around all of your life that means that you’re stuck on something and your brain can’t get unstuck. Now, here you are staring at a blank screen (or piece of paper if you’re feeling nostalgic) and you can’t churn out a good cohesive thought to save your life.
Well, my friend. I’m here to tell you that it’s all in your head. I mean, you knew that, but did you really?
Let’s break it down. Writer’s block is defined as the feeling of not knowing how to proceed with your writing.
What if I told you that the answer was right in front of you?
Just write.
The biggest hurdle between you and finishing that work is…you finishing that work.
Here are five ways to knock out writer’s block, expeditiously.
1. Write anytime, anyplace.
When the moment strikes, you need to write. This means that if you’re a purist who insists on writing on only the finest lambskin sheets with ink from rare oil mines, it’s time to break that. Whip out a tool that allows you to write on your phone on the go and on your PC. Google Docs is my tool of choice. I can “jot” down an idea in the middle of the night, then write it out fully in the morning on my laptop without losing a beat. Or you could also jot it down physically in a notebook. If keeping a handy-dandy notebook available with your random scribbles is a more natural workflow for you, then stick to it.
The important part is using a method that you can stick to consistently. Whatever way you traditionally write when an idea strikes, keep it going.
2. Block off designated time to write.
Famous writers often talk about how they dedicated hours upon hours to write. If you can’t quite do that, don’t feel bad, you’re actually like the rest of the world. Even more “professional” writers don’t have additional hours upon hours to write each day. They may write in short spurts throughout the day (see step above) or they may block off shorter time blocks such as an hour in the morning or evening. Start even smaller than that, block off 30 minutes every morning (or night) whichever works for your flow, to write.
You don’t have to know what to write, just write what comes to mind. Even if you can’t think your way out of that participate piece that has you stuck, you may write something else that lends to that inspiration. You may end up creating a new piece and merging it into an older piece.
3. Stop editing yourself.
During grade school, it felt horrible to work hard on an assignment only for a teacher to give it back to you covered in that dreaded red ink. Well, that’s what tools with traditional spell checkers do. I’m looking at you Word and Google Docs. While these are great tools for editing, when you’re stuck on an idea, the last thing that you need is to have someone or something telling you “hey ya spelled that wrong” or “hey something’s wrong with that sentence.”
It comes naturally to write in your natural voice when you’re trying to “unstick” an idea. You likely don’t think through the mechanics of voice, tone, grammar, mechanics, and spelling as much as you would if you were editing your work. A solution is to use software that doesn’t spell check you, like Scrivener, or, hear me out, pen and paper, no one’s going to check you in your notebook but you.
4. Use a tool that pressures you to write.
There are all types of tools out there that are designed to help you get through “writer’s block” by having you write without stopping. That’s right. If you stop writing, all of your work will be deleted. I wouldn’t advise sitting down to write your next Octavia Butler novel on these tools, but it’s great for trying to get through some potentially crappy ideas fairly quickly and moving on to the next. Or to create the habit of writing every day.
5. Get a writing accountability partner or start a writing club.
There’s nothing like having a group of people going through similar struggles to hold you accountable and cheer you on. Writing clubs are great for this purpose. It doesn’t have to be a large group. It can be intimidating to share unpolished work with a large group. I mean, we are artists, and we’re sensitive about our sh…you get me. But having a small group of either close friends or like-minded strangers can help you work through some ideas. And whether you meet every morning, every week, or every month, knowing that someone is looking for you to present work could be the push you need to keep writing through your rut.
Now, before you spend time researching and drafting a thorough rebuttal as to how writer’s block is not an illusion…
…spend that time working on the latest piece that has you blocked with one of the suggestions above. Better yet, go ahead and write that rebuttal if that means getting you out of a rut.
Happy writing!
