Now, you’re wondering what a writer’s block is. Well, it’s extraordinarily simple to catch on, you get an assignment or a topic to write on. You see the pen, and you grab it and start the first sentence. Now, the first sentence is always the hardest. But once you get over it, the ideas just keep flowing-like waterfall and you get that explosion of colourful, sweet candy in your head. POP! Ideas, thoughts, and visions are screaming to be bled onto that paper. It feels like you’re chewing on Cadbury’s jelly popping candy.
But as quick as it came, the ideas take an abrupt stop, and it leaves you with a sense of loss and abandonment. What is this? What am I feeling? Well, my friends, that’s what you call a writer’s block. It blocks your train of thought and you find yourself gripping the pen hard, squeezing every last drop of brain juice to get that written down. You find yourself losing up hope, an uncomfortable nagging feeling at the back of your head, telling you to give up the fight and just walk away from that piece of paper. Such a harmless paper, yet such torment is to be felt inside for this guilty act. “No! I can do it!”, you say to yourself, mentally prepping your mind to keep working, double-time. Unfortunately, bam. Dead end. Nada.
Why do I know so much about this? Well, if you suffer from this condition, you’d know what I mean. I’m a writer, my passion for words, the beautiful language and every single line from my favourite movies always sparks ideas up in my head for creative content. Believe it or not, I used to write romance novels online and tens of thousands of people would view, like, comment on each chapter as if they were more than just words. It was a cover, I used my ideas to escape a boring, action-less life and I’ve always found myself wanting more. More classy men in suits with a red rose in their palm, more fireworks, more drama. Coming from a small town, it certainly seemed the case for me. But enough about me, let’s talk about you.
Finding myself in a writer’s block is a sticky situation-but luckily enough I know just the tip (or, tips!) for you to unwind yourself from this predicament.
Tip 1: Relax and Reflect
Relax, take a deep breath, the paper will not run away from you and just reflect on what you do know. Use themes, locations, characters, and plot lines that you’re familiar about in your writing. Find the time to do some research, learn to perfect the use of language and those familiar contexts to conjure up words. A great tip here is to set your own life as a guiding stone. It’s the same thing as using a kick-board for your first swim, it aids you to be independent of the board in no time.
Tip 2: Read and Talk About it
Reading is another great example on how to perfect the use of your language. You don’t have to read in one language, and if you’re able to read and conceptualize in more than one language, all the better. Broaden your scope of understanding and widen the horizon of the words you use. You may just find your big break! I find talking about your problems to a trusty friend solves anything and I mean, anything. Look for loopholes and come up with a fool-proof plan that you can fall back on for future blocks. A tip would be to map out what you would like your readers to feel and think when they read your story. It doesn’t have to be complex, using simple words can suffice. What’s really important is to not lose your original ideas.
Tip 3: Environment change!
Relocate your desk to a brighter, airier spot. Find your muse, and normally it’s in the oddest of places. You might find inspirations to write by going in a library, but it doesn’t work like that most of the time. Get comfy, grab a mug of hot tea and just fantasize about your content and what you’re trying to deliver. Read inspiring quotes to get the mood right. I find sitting next to a green plant doing wonders for my mind (Plus, it gives you some free oxygen so eh, why not?) Opening up your window while you write can give you that extra push. I usually change my sitting arrangement every 2 months, in order to free up the cluster of tangled ideas and give them the space to roam in my head.
Tip 4: Don’t aim for perfection!
Perfection although extremely desirable, actually is very subjective and easily changeable with time. What’s perfect then, isn’t necessarily the case right now. What’s more, the difference in the audience who reads your work is the key factor that most content writers fail to grasp. Who are you writing for? What are they looking for in your content? Attain a sense of judgement on these two simple queries and launch yourself into the creative writing mode. Instead of sticking and re-writing a sentence, carry on and take the risk. See where the story takes you. Just give yourself time and understand that beauty is in all places, even in “not-so-perfect” words.
I find these 3 tips extremely helpful in overcoming a writer’s block and I get it, it’s super hard to just continue a thought for more than a few weeks at best. You may get anxious, stressed and even frustration would flow out in the form of tears at times. However, don’t let it get the best of your emotions. Do not let it stop you from writing. Believe in yourself and map out of your life! Your stories are yet to be written.