6 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block
Sometimes you need to explore the world to expand your mind.
Writer’s block is infuriating! The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.” Too put it simply, an annoying occurrence that interrupts a writer’s peace.
You can have so many ideas and then all of a sudden…there’s nothing. It’s like your brain has forgotten how to think.
Some days, you can write pages upon pages, but then other days, it’s as if your brain has temporarily gone completely blank and all you can think about is what you’re going to eat for dinner.
Until essentially, there’s a time where your mind finally comes back to life and your creative juices are flowing from your neurons to your finger tips and onto the page!
Here are some tips to help you overcome writer’s block:
- Free write
Take some time to write about things that are important to you or what you did on any given day. Just writing in general can help break through the wall in your mind.
One of my favorite free writing techniques is writing about people you see at a coffee shop. You start with appearance, what color hair they have, their eye color and shape, their body language etc. Then you go on to make up stories about them.
For instance, you see a young man with dark hair and bright blue eyes who orders his coffee black and seems to be in a rush. Where is he going?
Maybe he’s on his way to meet his pregnant wife as she’s in labor. Maybe he just caught a glimpse of his side-chick when his girlfriend is waiting for him in the car and he’s trying to run out unseen.
Or maybe he’s just late for work!
Or maybe he really needs to use the bathroom as you watch him sprinting towards the restroom sign.
See how fun this could be? Try it out!
2. Read a book
What better way to get inspiration and ideas for writing than from some of the best writer’s known around the world? So pick up your favorite book and just relax.
Don’t think so much about the style the author uses, just read the book for fun. You’ll be surprised at the ideas that pop up in your head after giving your brain some rest.
And don’t forget to let the sweet, yet musty scent of the old pages fill your nose as you open up the novel you’ve been wanting to read for so long. (Is there really any better smell?)
3. Change your environment
If you’re still staring at the bright screen of your laptop surrounded by four blank walls, leave the room. Go outside, lay in a hammock, and watch the clouds change shapes.
Write down every different animal, object and scenario you see amongst the clouds. Maybe you’ll see a little bunny smoking a cigarette and you’ll end up writing a New York Times Best Seller about rebellious teenage animals.
A change of scenery is healthy for your mind to open up to new possibilities and thoughts so be sure to travel to multiple cities in your life to see the sky from a different point of view.
4. Go for a walk
As stated previously, being cooped up inside all day can really narrow your thinking process. Find some inspiration from the scenes around you on a nice walk.
I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché, “stop and smell the roses” before, but in this case, you should! Take a walk through a field of flowers and feel the soft petals brush against your fingertips.
Listen to the soft hum of the bees buzzing around the field and bask in the bright sunlight. What a beautiful picturesque scene to write about, right?
Maybe something will strike a spark and you’ll come up with the next idea for whatever it is you’re writing, whether it’s an essay, a short story or a novel. Sometimes you need to explore the world to expand your mind!
5. Draw or paint
It’s often found that sometimes, we don’t realize how creative we can be until we put a paint brush to a canvas.
Now, you don’t have to be particularly artistic for this exercise to work, so no worries there! But drawing and painting can ignite the left side of your brain and inspire some beautiful prose.
Or, if you really feel like painting would be a waste of time because of your severe lack of artistic talent, you can always pull a Jackson Pollock and just throw random objects on a canvas, add some paint splatters and see what you get.
While the result may not be as pretty as you had first intended, it sure sounds like a good way to release any emotions or feelings blocking the words from throwing themselves onto their own paper canvas.
6. Exercise
Go for a jog or a nice bike ride through the country side and don’t even think about writing. Just enjoy the breeze on your face and the sound of the tires on the pavement.
Focusing all of your energy on another task can help your mind break free from the stress of struggling to find the right words to say.
Throughout the workout, you may become rejuvenated with new ideas!
Comment below if any of these strategies work for you or if you’d like to share some of your own ideas as well, we’d love to hear of some more!
Kayla Keller is an intern with Blooming Twig and studies Linguistics, English and Writing at Stony Brook University.
