Every writer has faced their worst nightmare at least once. And no, I'm not talking about running out of coffee (which is pretty scary to be honest), I'm talking about writer's block. Ahhhh, there has been so many times our lovely enemy has tortured us. It is frustrating, annoying and honestly a little puzzling since as a writer, one can have so many ideas but isn't able to put those thoughts into words. This can occur for many reasons such as: the timing is completely off since we might feel like we're not in the right mind to write, we can get confused while dealing with so many ideas all at once, we want to write something that matters and therefore, we block our ideas out and without even realizing it, we pressure ourselves to be better, and also we want our writing to be as great as it can be since we want it to be perfect, but we fear that we can't really live up to those high expectations. However, for every problem there is a solution. Here's six ways to win the battle against writer's block.
1. Listen to any music that relaxes you.
We all have different taste in music. Some people find country music the most relaxing genre while others believe that classical music is the key to relaxation. No matter what your preference in music is, before writing, play any type of music that relaxes you. This will help you calm yourself and concentrate on whatever it is you are going to write about. Oh and you should definitely create a playlist with every song that will help you get in the writing mood.
2. Gather your thoughts and ideas.
Before getting to work, you need to decide what it is you want to write about. If you start mixing topics you will definitely get confused and you will keep changing your mind thinking that the topic you came up with recently is better than the last topic you thought about. Trust me, concentrate on one topic first before working on the next one, you will have time to write about everything you want.
3. Take a break.
After deciding which topic you want to write about, don't jump into the writing immediately. Now that you have decided what you're going to write about take a break to process the topic. Get a drink, eat some comforting food like ice cream and oddly enough take a shower (this always works for me). This will definitely make you feel relaxed and refreshed and you'll be ready to start writing!
4. Find your favorite place to write.
Some people like writing in their bedroom while others like to write sitting outside surrounded by nature. Also, there's some people that like to write in the bathroom which others may consider a little odd but somehow it's a place where you can concentrate without getting bothered. It doesn't matter what your favorite place to write is as long as you feel comfortable where you are.
5. Free-write for 10 minutes.
Once you're settled in and ready to start writing about your topic, free write for 10 minutes to organize your ideas. Once you're done writing freely, be sure that you wrote down every single point you want to address in your work. Don't leave anything out and express yourself thoroughly!
6. Keep your head in the game.
Once you start writing, don't get distracted. Put your phone on silent and get away from it. This will help you avoid the very familiar tempting feeling of checking Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media because if you do, you won't be able to stop... We all know it's addicting. Also, turn off your TV or get out of Netflix. If you have a show to watch, it can wait and Netflix won't go anywhere. Once you're "in the zone" don't stop, it's easier to keep going than to pause for a while.
It happens to every writer. But don't worry, that doesn't mean that your creativity is gone. I'm not gonna lie, even writing about writer's block made me struggle with this wicked villain. However, this routine has always been very useful for me and hopefully it will be very helpful for other writers as well. Good luck writers and remember, writer's block has nothing on us!
Oh and btw, because I'm a huge "Game of Thrones" fan I need to add this... What do we say to Writer's Block?
