Time is passing by, and you are still here staring at the screen with
little to no words on your document. You feel a headache coming on,
and you know that you should be writing, but you just don't have any
inspiration to. Your mind draws a blank. We have all experienced this
feeling before.
You guessed it: Writer's block. A dreaded feeling that leaves us squirming, trying to pour out words before the deadline of our essays, or trying to push out an article every Friday for our blog. It's a horrible feeling. Surprisingly, writer's block can be more than no desire to write. It can also be your fear of talking. Here are a few tips to cure your writer's block:
- Talk to the little voice inside your head
Whether it's for your college professor or an article for thousands to read, thinking about whom will read it and what they will think about it can be daunting. So, forget about them and create a little voice in your head. That voice is your best friend, your number one fan, and loves everything that you put out. Talking to this voice will ease the anxiety you feel, thus providing a cure to your writer's block.
- Take breaks
Maybe you are just tense and need a break, and that is okay! Go wash the dishes, get up and stretch, take a shower, or do anything you need to do before getting back into the zone. Taking your mind off your writing could be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing. Forcing ideas to pop up in your head may actually be hindering your creativity. Inspiration for something genius can come when you least expect it.
- Take a trip
Go to the park. Go see a friend that you haven't seen in ages. Just go somewhere, but there is a kicker: don't drive. Take a taxi, or bus, or even a plane. But don't forget your writing tools. Think about some ideas for your essay or article and jot them down as you ride. Don't stop until you arrive at your destination.
- Don't plan your posts
A deadline could speed up the writing process, but it may end up making the writing not as good as it can be and making you feel very bad if you missed it. So, write on your own time. You may have lost motivation for a particular essay. Write whatever comes to your mind. That one spark may turn into a masterpiece.
- Try writing at a different place
Getting up and leaving your work space may actually cure your writer's block. If you can, get up and leave that environment. Go to your local park, or Starbucks, or if you can't go to those places, just get up and move away from your desk. Take your laptop or iPad and just write.
- Reread your past writing
If
you have some old posts, go back and read them.Sometimes we lose motivation and need something to motivate us. Remember your very first post, or your very best post? Go back and read them word by word. You may be doubting your writing skills and need something to start you up again. That great writer is still inside you, and didn't go anywhere. See how great you are? Sometimes a little reminder is all we need to regain our confidence.
- Try writing at a different time of day
Fixed schedules may become a part of our daily routines. Many famous writers have done it. Getting into a habit can be a good thing, but what if that habit becomes associated with something negative or boring? Change it around a little and experiment. Try writing in the early morning or late night. You may find yourself even more inspired.
- Stealing ideas is okay
Your desire to be original may be causing your writer's block all together. You have a great idea, but it has already been done before. That's okay! Take that idea and make it your own, but don't outright plagiarize and copy that person. Grab ideas from different sources and mix them together to make your own creation. Read and research your topics and use those ideas in your next piece. As Austin Kleon says: “All creative work builds on what came before.”
- Don't compare yourself to other people
It's good to read other people's work, but comparing your writing skills to their's may stop you from writing to your full potential. Your talents are unique. You should be embarrassing those talents for yourself without feeling that envy. Your basic and strait-to-the-point style of writing may communicate with your readers more than Author X's use of fancy words and vibrant metaphors. You will feel much better about your writing if you stopped comparing yourself to others. As well as to writing, this can of course also be applied to the beauty & fashion bloggers out there, you are your own unique self, so don't compare yourself to others.
Just write, editing can come later
Attempting to create the perfect piece of literature can discourage you from finishing it. Stop trying to be perfect. Accept the fact that your rough draft may be crappy. Just write as fast as you can. Editing can come afterwards.
- Don't let your fear of criticism stop you
- Google things for inspiration
If you are having trouble finding a topic to write about, Google it. It's one of the most valuable tools right at your fingertips. Think of something you are passionate about and type it into the search bar. Google never fails.
I
hope this provided some relief to your (potential) writer's block.
Sure, there are
countless ways to cure it, but I just stated some of the most effective
and common ways.
What do you do to cure your writer's block?
xx ♡ Micky
