To all of my fellow journalists, songwriters, poets, and all other writers in the world, please join me to talk about the hatred and annoyance of writer’s block.
I am a writer. I write articles, essays, songs, and I come across the vexatious feeling of writer’s block. Sometimes, I start with a simple idea that I think I can turn into something worthy to talk about. Many times, I write a few sentences or lines but they become nothing but dead ends and aimless ideas. Your mind might know what it wants to accomplish, however there is something intercepting the information from being received, thus leaving you feeling stumped and drawing a blank. You sit there and think to yourself, “Just write a few words. You can do it. Just write something.” like a monophonic chant of motivation. There is an abundance of blank space on the page with so much potential. What do you do when you feel like you have forgotten every word ever created and cannot form a structured thought? Here are a few tips on how to combat that feeling:
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1. Walk away
Sometimes, you simply need to step back and reevaluate your thoughts. Go for a walk. Watch a movie. Read a book. After a little while, something might trigger a fantastic idea for that story or song you were trying to finish.
2. Talk to someone new
If it seems like you are not conjuring up ideas by yourself, call a friend or a family member that you enjoy talking to. In many cases, you may just need a fresh mind to collaborate with. This is especially useful in songwriting. Some of the best pieces of work have come out of collaborating with another writer/artist.
3. Seek out other art
When writer’s block is hitting you hard, it is often caused by lack of inspiration. Put down the pencil, close the laptop, and listen to some music, watch a film, or take a trip to an art museum. Find another art form that you may not normally interact with. There might be a movie or a painting that evokes some sort of emotion within you giving you a sense of purpose for your writing. Sometimes, certain shapes and colors cause you to feel certain passions or ideas. Take this time to see or do something new and expand your artistic palette.
4. Free write
Sometimes I find that I can come up with something to talk about after writing aimlessly for a little while. When you get a chain of thoughts going, there is a good chance that something will come across your mind that you feel you can relate to and discuss. Start by writing about what you are feeling at that exact moment and see where your train of thought takes you.
5. Find a change in scenery
When you sit in your bedroom, office, kitchen, or wherever it is that you do your writing, you might be all too used to the environment around you. When this happens, you lose the curiosity and intriguing feeling when seeing something new. If this is the case, take a walk in a park, go to a new coffee shop, or simply take a drive around. You may just find something so simple that you can talk about and turn into a gorgeous piece of art, regardless of what writing form it is in.
6. Wait it out
When all else fails, just wait it out. There are times where the insight and incentive just isn’t there. This happens and it is completely okay. Take a break from writing and do anything else to give your mind a chance to breathe.
Writer’s block can be the worst. It is much like a monster or a dragon, and all you have to do it slay it.
