BEATING WRITER’S BLOCK
It happens to us all. Suddenly, you hit a wall and the breath’s knocked out of you. You grasp for the words, but they don’t come. And if they do, they’re forced and lackluster, merely placeholders for something else to emerge.
Unfortunately, the more you wrestle, the more entangled you become in this vicious snare. What are you to do?
Often, you write through it. Whether it’s a looming deadline or pure discipline, you push aside the head trip and get to work.
However, at other times, it can be a signal that you’re burned out and out of balance. For me, this phase is accompanied by gloom, doubt, and despair. It means that I need rest and recalibration.
Here are four ways I’ve found to help overcome writer’s block:
Read more for pleasure. Go to the well of the stuff that made you feel alive, made you want to write.
Write an essay about one of your favorite books or films. When all else fails, this one gets my wheels turning with a welcome jolt of inspiration. (And usually becomes a blog post.)
Journal by hand or keep a diary. It can be as simple as writing down what you ate and how it tasted, how you slept, your dreams, your mood, and what sucks and what doesn’t. This is a low-pressure way to activate internal and external observation.
Don’t beat yourself up over non-productive days. Just like the body needs rest, so does your mind and spirit.
Creative dry spells are supremely frustrating and feel like lost opportunities, but the ideas, images, and words are there, waiting to surface at the right time. Just be ready to catch them when they arrive.
