What do you do when you can't write, when you can't find a single thought in your head that's worth sharing?
Lots of people do nothing.
Which is frustrating, because as writers, we want to write. We want to share these thoughts that buzz in our heads throughout the day. We write to create discourse and to build a community, but sometimes, you just feel like you're standing in an empty field instead of a bustling city.
I find that too many of these thoughts pass too quickly. But sometimes you don't have a skip or a pass that you can use. Sometimes you have to push through the writer's block.
1. Just write.
Sometimes the best way to get past writer's block is to simply write. Sit down with a pen and paper or at your laptop and word vomit all over the page. You might even create something you're proud of.
2. Take a break.
Get up, go for a walk, and rest your eyes and hands. Get some inspiration from the world around you. Hell, call your mom and tell her your problems. More than once, my mom has helped me get past writer's block by just talking through the situation.
3. Write a list.
When it comes to articles, I get stuck all the time on a topic. Recently, I made a list of things that I'm interested in or things that make up my identity. When I'm stuck on a topic, I can glance at the list and write about a new topic.
4. Power through it.
Essays. The bane of all college students. These are the papers we procrastinate until hours before the deadline. The papers that have us chugging caffeinated drinks and sometimes even shedding a tear. You have that topic, but your soul just doesn't want to write. The deadline is creeping closer and closer, and you're just going to have to power through it.
