Simple Way to Overcome Writer’s Block

If there is something that every writer struggles with, it is the inspiration to write at the right time. Writer’s block is so common that it’s often a running joke among professional writers, and everyone either has a punchline or a quick tip for how they get over their blocks. It’s a lot less about having writer’s block and much more about what you actually do with it, because that’s where you’ll overcome and find the best ways to beat writer’s block for good.

Simple Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block

Everyone struggles differently with writer’s block, but it also seems that everyone has a solution to offer. The method may be different for everyone, but you probably won’t know what will or won’t be effective until you give a few things a try.

Exercise

Whether it’s taking the dog for a walk, hitting the treadmill, or even taking a break to hit the gym, getting out that excess energy can help your brain focus and give you the mental stamina that you need to continue writing. You might even find some inspiration along the way or wake up your creative juices when you get your blood flowing. You don’t have to run a marathon, but go do something. It works wonders in many cases of writer’s block.

Rethink Your Routine

If you’re a creature of habit, it might very well be your habit that’s killing the writing buzz. While some writers thrive on routine to summon their best ideas, others get a sort of performance anxiety that results in very little work being done at all. Think about what you can do to get out of the rut. Consider changing the type of music that you listen to (or starting to listen to music) while you write. Pick a different room or space to write in. Consider free-writing or brainstorming on paper before sitting down at the screen. There are plenty of ways to approach writing. Don't settle on one that doesn’t work.

Get Together

Sometimes, the soul is just lonely. If you call an old friend or hang out with someone that gives you good vibes, it could spur your creativity and help inspire you to sit down and write when you get home. It might be a distraction if you do it too often, but as long as you’re using it to refocus, and not to escape, you’ll find it to be a great tool to get through the wall. Just remember to limit your visits so that you can still focus your energy on writing at some point in your day.

Put This Article Down

It sounds counter-intuitive to our posting, but you really shouldn’t be here if you’re trying to get over writer’s block. By all means, finish the last part of the article, but then get back to your writing, immediately. Temporary distractions are great, but spending hours reading about how other people are solving their problem is the exact opposite of solving yours. You're just putting it off longer. Take this information and go back to the writing and find the solution that works.

Consider it a Myth

Most people will gasp at this one, but it’s true. Think about writing like a job – if you were to call in sick because you felt like you just couldn’t perform your duties that day, your boss would think you were ridiculous. Treat writer’s block the same way. You can’t “call in sick” for lack of ideas or inspiration. For those who treat writing more as a hobby, it’s easy to find distractions. If you really want to commit to writing and beat writer’s block for good, treat writing like a job and write anything you can, even if it’s bad. You can always pitch it (or edit) later.

A Few More Simple Tips

• Brainstorm
• Free-write
• Read a book
• Relocate
• Put on some music
• Got to the museum (pick your favorite)
• Try starting at the ending
• Play! —You'd be surprised at what a few minutes with LEGOs or other creative toys can do.

It Might Be Time to Find the Cause

Although any of the suggestions above may be helpful to anyone, there is definitely something to be said for putting a little bit of thought into the reasoning behind why you can’t write. In a lot of cases, it might be something simple that you can rectify, thereby alleviating your own writer’s block without a lot of effort at all. Again, there are just as many causes as there are possible solutions, but some are more common than others. These include:

• Fear: The biggest reason that many writers never actually write is because of fear. Not just fear of rejection or criticism, but also the fear of success. What happens if you write one good book? Then people will expect more, and if you can’t deliver, then you will disappoint everyone. If you’re struggling with fear, you’ll just have to test the waters and find a way to work around it.
• Timing: A lot of writers will tell you that the problem is that the time just isn’t right. Their ideas might need more “time” to come to fruition or the mood just might not be ideal. Either way, timing is a big reason that a lot of writers will complain of having a block.
• Perfection: Again, writers are afraid a lot of the time. Being a perfectionist is part of that fear, or vice versa, but somehow, they feed each other in almost all cases. You are so worried about getting your story exactly perfect that you can’t possibly write anything less. Thus, you never start.

What’s Your Best Remedy?

Since everyone has a different style, we’re interested to see what some of our readers have discovered to be an effective answer to how to get over writer’s block. Feel free to share your ideas and inspirations with us below, and let us know what you think we can try next time the wall goes up and the idea stream shuts down.