Have you ever found yourself staring for long periods of time at a blank page, wanting to compose, but unable to find the right words? This is writer’s block, and from journalists to novelists, all writers struggle with it. Overcoming the block is a delicate process that is often highly subjective and relies on each person. It’s about overcoming self-doubt at the end of the day and understanding that hard work is going to pay off. There are some writing tips and tricks below to get the creative juices flowing again.
- Develop a writing routine
Twyla Tharp, author, and artist, once wrote: “Creativity is a habit, and good work habits are the product of the best creativity.” This may sound counterintuitive to some. Isn’t innovation something that ebbs and flows naturally, not something that you can schedule? But the fact is, you’re likely to get trapped in the tar pit of writer’s block if you just write when you “feel creative.” By disciplining yourself to write on a daily basis, the best way to get through is. It could be every day, every other day, or only on weekends, but stick to it, whatever it is!
- Freewrite
Freewriting requires writing without delay and without regard to grammar, pronunciation, or subject for a pre-set period of time. You’re just writing. What you jot down might be entirely unrelated to your current project, of course, but it doesn’t matter! The aim of freewriting is to write free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness without second-guessing yourself, all of which contribute to the block of the writer.
Here’s how to begin:
Find the proper surroundings. Go somewhere that won’t bother you.
Choose your utensils for printing. Are you going to type on your phone, or use a pen and paper to write? (Tip: you can free-write the old-fashioned way if you’re prone to hitting the backspace button!)
Settle down on your time-limit. Set your timer for just 10 minutes the first time around to get the feel for it. With freewriting, you can progressively raise this interval as you become more relaxed.
- Don’t start at the beginning
The beginning, when you have an entire empty book to fill with coherent words, is by far the most daunting part of writing. So you try to compose, dive into the centre, or anywhere you feel secure, instead of starting with the chronological beginning of whatever it is. You will feel less pressure to quickly get it “right” because you are “already at the halfway stage” and you will be warmed up by the time you return to the beginning!
- Take a shower
This might sound weird but hear this out. This isn’t a recommendation for personal hygiene. Have you ever found that while in the shower, or while doing other “mindless” things, the best ideas appear to arrive? Ok, there’s a scientific explanation for that: research reveals that your brain goes on autopilot while you’re doing something monotonous (such as showering, driving, or cleaning), leaving you unconscious free to roam without constraints motivated by logic. In other words, you’re more capable of daydreaming and forming imaginative ties that you would neglect otherwise. Just lather, rinse, and repeat until the block has been kicked to the curb!
- Work on your characters
Most tales, at their heart, are just about characters. It follows that you’re more likely to run into writer’s block if the characters are not well described. But don’t despair, if this sounds like you! To bring your characters up to code, here are some great resources:
Exercises in character creation will help you flesh out your characters into three-dimensional individuals with abilities, limitations, goals, fears, and more.
Character profile-This post shows you how to build a robust character profile. It also comes with a handy prototype that you can use to really get your cast to know!
- Meditate
Sit on a big couch, close your eyes, and focus for five to ten minutes on your breath. You can develop an ability to concentrate on your messy first attempts for longer periods if you meditate every day. Try binaural rhythms. Via headphones, the meditator listens to sounds. Each earbud is assigned a different frequency, and as a statistical outcome of the two, a third frequency results in the brain. The brain will then continue to emit at the rate of the third frequency brain waves. It’s said that binaural beats alleviate tension. Perhaps better, they are believed to improve relaxation, imagination, and information processing.
- Listen To Music
Anxiety and neural activity are calmed by music. Most individuals find that music or sound is best for efficiency at a low to medium level. You should always try listening to binaural beats if you have a problem concentrating when playing music.
