TEN TIPS TO BANISH WRITER’S BLOCK
- DS Young
- Jul 29, 2024
- 3 min read
It’s always there, ready to prey on the dark recesses of your brain, waiting to attack when you least expect it. You’re living your life, minding your own business, when—BAM—writer’s block strikes. Suddenly, you’re down for days, weeks, or worse even months. The blank screen taunts you. Any sentence you try to spin sounds stupid, cliché, juvenile.
You think: Who am I kidding? I’m no writer. You think: This will never end. You think: I’m doomed for eternity. I’ll never write anything worthy again.
Sound familiar?
Here are TOP TEN TIPS to get your writing mojo back on track:
1. Meditate – Sometimes quieting your mind is enough to move past what’s paralyzing you. Take a break from technology and the pressure to produce, and meditate. Envision your problems being placed into a box. Then close the lid and stow it away. Focus on your breath, your body, the stillness your soul is craving. Who knows where your spirit and the universe’s energy may lead you.
2. Movement – Get away from the keyboard and get outside. Take a walk. Be open to the natural world around you. Notice how the trees bend in the breeze or the formations clouds can make. Soaking up nature can reduce stress and suppress the negative chatter in your head.
3. Music – Studies show listening to music can have a positive impact on your brain. Playing Mozart or instrumental music softly in the background can improve your mood, enhance positive thoughts and release your creativity.
4. Regain Control – When the stress of everyday life spins out of control, writer’s block can wreak havoc. Curb the chaos and stop obsessing about that rising pile of bills or looming deadline. Stop wasting time worrying. Realize certain things are beyond your control and you can’t fix everything. But you can boost your inner power by accomplishing small tasks. Purge that junk drawer, organize your workspace, or tidy up your office. Working in a decluttered atmosphere can calm the psyche and help you get back into writing mode.
5. Inspiration - Allow your favorite quote or passage to inspire you. Writing in response to evocative prose can unleash your inner muse. The trick? Write with abandon – release your inhibitions and let the piece speak to you. You may be surprised by what is hiding beneath the surface of your writer’s ego.
6. Poetry – A poem a day can chase writer’s block away. Many successful writers have noted reading one poem a day motivates and sustains their creative energy. This is great practice to incorporate into your daily writing habits, even when the words are flowing freely.
7. Read and Reread - When the doubting demons lurk, read your favorite book or better yet, reread your latest or best work (preferably out loud) as a reminder of how good your writing really is. Really!
8. Dream Journal – Keeping track of your dreams not only enhances your creativity, it just may provide that elusive spark for a new story or chapter.
9. Write – Sound counterproductive? It’s not. Fight through the barrier with your best defense: your talent. Free write whatever comes to your mind for at least 10-15 minutes. Don’t concern yourself with punctuation or grammar. Don’t worry about the topic or syntax. Just write, write, write. At the very least, you’re writing!
10. Acceptance – When all else fails, accept and surrender. Nothing lasts forever. And remember, “A mind can blow those clouds away/It’s not always gonna be this gray.”
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