A 5-Step Plan To Breaking Writer's Block | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

A 5-Step Plan To Breaking Writer's Block

I'm going to tell you how to cure your writer's block while doing nothing about my own.

7
A 5-Step Plan To Breaking Writer's Block
Drew Coffman / Flickr

It's no surprise that this article comes from a place of need. I need to complete an article, and I'm stuck. I don't know what to write about.

Blank pages are no fun, and I've been staring at one for over 45 minutes. That's right — for almost an hour I've sat and looked at a mostly white screen, pushing my brain to figure out something even halfway thought-provoking at 3:13 a.m. when all I want to do is sleep.

The cursor blinks, and it taunts me. With every blink, all I can see is "failure" and "stuck" and "wrong." Words deserve to be on a page, and they are getting stuck somewhere in my wrist, and so my fingers awkwardly tap on the keyboard without knowing what to really write.

This begs the question of solving writer's block. Google, my long term and most trusted source of information here at college, was the opposite of helpful as the black hole of the internet just offered more ways to procrastinate putting off the actual activity of writing.

And so, to any of you who also deal with writer's block, I have a few words of wisdom for you.

1. Start writing.

If, like me, you can't think about anything except being stuck, write about being stuck. Write about the way you fall out of productivity slowly, then all at once, hitting a wall that leaves you a mushy glob of three different articles, all vastly different, and each more pathetic and desperate than the last.

2. Google "Interesting Writing Prompts" or "Book Prompts" and start writing.

Write about two private investigators hired to kill each other. Write a children's book. Write about how two teenagers befriend the Grim Reaper and become immortal. As hard as it is to "just start," just start. Pick a topic, and start writing. Start with "I don't know what to write." Rant about your day or your week or how no one ever keeps New Year's resolutions.

3. Leave the keyboard.

Forcing words never feels good, but sometimes it's counterproductive. Take the dog for a walk. Go for a run. Go throw ice at a tree. Write all your frustrations on an egg and launch it across a field (or don't throw it and use the egg as a base to start writing on paper). Have a paint war, shop for a new notebook, devour some soul food. Read. Listen to an audiobook or some music.

4. Don't beat yourself up.

You're human, and writer's block happens. Don't compare yourself to other writers who "never" get writer's block. Remind yourself that your brain is imperfect. After all, if every idea was easy and perfect from the beginning, there's no creative fun in being a writer.

5. Be imaginative.

Come up with a character based on your worst enemy, or best friend, or that weird guy in the background of your Snapchat. Murder him/her in the most gory way you can think of. Teach them how to climb a mountain. Write about fighting over a guy. Or about how the smallest mistake- plucking the wrong color flower for your girlfriend, for instance — can have the biggest impact- for example, forming an underground community dedicated to extinguishing all life from the planet in order to start over.

My point? Just... do. Create. You've got this.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Anna Kendrick
Some Life

The infamous RBF is something I have and am known for. It’s kind of exhausting to be asked if you're okay all the time or being told to smile more. Girls with RBF get judged to be mean and rude much quicker than the girl who is always smiling. It’s true and just plain natural for someone who is generally smiling all the time to come off as more trustworthy and I've gotten used to it. I used to think that having a Resting Bitch Face was only a bad thing until I realized that just like anything else, it also has its perks. Having a permafrown with a piercing look comes with great power.

Keep Reading...Show less
Parks and Rec
IndieWire

We all know that Parks and Recreation is one of the greatest shows ever to air on TV. As we watched every episode, we all found a piece of us in each character (even Jerry). From the moment we met the pit, to the time we saw it flourish into a beautiful park, we all had developed a little bit of Pawnee, Indiana in our hearts.

Keep Reading...Show less
Procrastinator Station
Gabriel D Wilson, DeviantArt

So your teacher assigned you a colossal load of homework. You know the warning that comes with that: “You can’t leave this to the last minute!” Suddenly, you have a choice- one that will determine your fate until the assignment is due. Will you get started right away and spread the work out over several weeks, or will you hear your instructor’s word of caution and think

Keep Reading...Show less
Kardashians
W Magazine

Whether you love them or hate them, it's undeniable the Kardashian/ Jenner family has built an enormous business empire. Ranging from apps, fashion lines, boutiques, beauty products, books, television shows, etc. this bunch has shown they are insane business moguls. Here are seven reasons why the Kardashian/ Jenner family should be applauded for their intelligent business tactics.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash

If I have learned one thing in my lifetime, it is that friends are a privilege. No one is required to give you their company and yet there is some sort of shared connection that keeps you together. And from that friendship, you may even find yourself lucky enough to have a few more friends, thus forming a group. Here are just a few signs that prove your current friend group is the ultimate friend group.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments