The agony of being on a writer’s block has to be one of the worst feelings to exist. When writers don’t seem to have an idea to pen down, we grieve. Whether you’re just writing for fun or trying to get by with that essay due next week, know that you’re not alone and this and with the right motivation you can get through this successfully. With the help of lyrics by my favorite band, Twenty One Pilots, I gathered the universal stages of the horrible writer’s block:
1. Denial: I do not have writer's block my writer just hates the clock“I look outside and see a whole world - Migraine
You think we have all the time in the world to write whatever it is that we have to do. You deny we have it until we realize there are no good ideas to talk about. “What good do I have to bring to the table when every idea was been used and overused?”
2. Bargaining: writing to say something cause i wasn’t the only one who wasn’t rushing to say nothing - heavydirtysoul
"Are you searching for purpose? Then write something, yeah it might be worthless. Then paint something, and it might be wordless. Pointless curses, nonsense verses. You'll see purpose start to surface" - kitchen sink
“You say things with your mouth. Cobwebs and flies come out.” - lovely
This is when the writing attempt starts. You will start writing about anything just to keep the sea of thoughts in motion.
3. Anger: "I look outside and see a whole world better off without me in it trying to transform it." - Not today
“Tie a noose around your mind loose enough to breath fine and tie it to a tree, tell it You belong to me, this ain't a noose. This is a leash and I have news for you: You must obey me!” - holding on to you
After reading what you just did, you ask yourself why did you think what you wrote was a good idea. You question your lack of creativity and you might want to punch the computer. But, please, don’t do. It’s nobody’s (or nothing’s) fault that you have a writer’s block. I promise you, you will get through it. Don’t stop writing there, for anger is an excuse that some writers use to stop whatever they once started doing.
4. Depression: “My brain has given up, white flags are hoisted. I took some food for thought, it might be poisoned. The stomach in my brain throws up onto the page” - forest
“i’ve been travelling the desert of my mind and I haven’t found a drop of life.” - addict with a pen
“Something happened to my imagination, the situation's becoming dire.” - Forest
The darkest stage of all: the thought of not being capable of thinking of something worth reading. This is when the writer’s block become personal. You are you, not your work. Even when the final outcome turns out terrible, don’t let this get to you.
5. Inspiration: “Ts uncrossed and Is undotted.” - holding on to you
This is crucial for any writing project. You give yourself another chance, and maybe this time it doesn’t turn out bad. This is a stage of freedom, where you look at your past work and explore it in new ways. You might feel paranoid but at this point you might not care and proceed anyway.
6. Freedom: "Shadows will scream that I'm alone But I know, we've made it this far... kid." - Migraine
At last, you are done, you have accepted you have a block and managed to cope with it. You did it, give yourself a round of applause. Rejoice!
