BECOMING A WRITER
My First Experience With Writer’s Block
My brain put forward no cohesive thoughts, but I kept writing anyway
Last weekend I encountered my first writer’s block since trying to write more on Medium. I have more than 30 draft articles, but none were giving me the creative spark that I needed to finish one.
A Little Backstory
On July 8th, I challenged myself to write 500 words a day for 30 days straight. I knew weekends would be a challenge within this challenge. But, I was (still am) determined to make it happen.
But then, it finally hit me. The desire to complete a challenge and the lack of motivation to finish the day.
Late Saturday night, I realized I hadn’t written anything all day. I cracked open my laptop while watching TV and attempted to write.
I don’t know if it was the summer heat, exhaustion from renovating our kitchen, or just lack of motivation. Whatever the reason, writing was a struggle. I spent hours on my couch typing a few sentences here and there. What did I have to show for my efforts?
Nothing but stream-of-consciousness writing as if I was writing this all in my journal instead of on Medium.
Breaking the Block
When I get in the writing zone, words stream out onto the screen like water rushing over a cliff. I knew this wouldn’t happen every time I sat down to write, but I was hoping it would take more than 5 days into this challenge.
Let me be clear: I did not fail on Saturday. I wrote 500 words and only 500 words.
How did I do it? By letting the stream of thoughts happen without purpose.
I wrote about my day, I wrote about becoming a parent, and I wrote about the heat. Anything that came to mind ended up on that page. When I finished 500 words, I stopped.
On Sunday, I started again with a new article. This time I had a little more focus, but I still didn’t finish it. By Monday, I worked on two different articles and made significant progress on one.
Today, I was able to finish one of the articles I started and submit it for a new publication. Plus, I am now able to share my experience here now.
So if you’re experiencing writer’s block…
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Focus on getting words onto a page and let them be. Try again the next day with something new.
Keep jumping around until you get your flow back. I promise it’s worth it.
