I had the toughest time thinking of what to write about today. I had nothin’. Which is when a wise friend suggested I write about what to do with writer’s block.
Brilliant.
Right: In every life, a little rain must fall. It’s true. At some point, you will get writer’s block. It’s a pain in the ass, but not an insurmountable one.
There are any number of ways to deal with it. Like any source of frustration, it’s best not to fight it, but to work with it. This may not feel right, but I promise you it’s the way to go.
Anyway here are some things you can try:
- Take a break. Take a walk, drink some coffee, get some air. Do something other than think about writing for a while; at least twenty minutes. Then give it another go.
- Power on through. If you know it needs to get done fast and you’re on a deadline of some kind, then you can try to just grind it out. Word by word. It won’t be fun, and it’s why some people consider writing to be a very hard job, on occasion. But you can do it.
- Remember WHY You’re Writing. ’Why’ is simply the strongest motivator there is. Re-assert for yourself why you’re working on this in the first place. It helps.
- Brainstorm. Talk to a friend. If ideas aren’t flowing, get a second opinion. The right piece of feedback can do wonders. Plus, then you can steal all the credit for the idea!
- Come Back To It Tomorrow. Seriously, if it ain’t comin’, it ain’t comin’. Get some sleep. Tackle it fresh the next day. Sometimes that’s all you can do.
I sincerely hope these tidbits are of use. Drop me a line and let me know if you have any questions.
