We all have moments that we dub writer's block. But how do we get ourselves out of these ruts where imagination and inspiration seem to run low and we find ourselves staring into the void trying to collect our thoughts? Being a creator is incredible and being a writer is something we should all cultivate and nurture so, whether it be doodling on post its or jotting down random thoughts into a journal, we all have our solutions to defeat the dreaded moments of blanking out so we can move on. If you're looking for some solutions to this annoying problem, here are five of my tips to get those juices flowing.
1. Avoid resorting to YouTube, Facebook, and other social media black holes.
Every time I'm struggling to come up with ideas or just lacking major inspiration, I remind myself to avoid the Facebook, YouTube, and BuzzFeed tabs on my browser. I find it more difficult to get back to what I originally started out doing because after scrolling through every single BuzzFeed quiz known to mankind, I have completely lost all motivation to get back to the serious stuff and cannot get myself to focus in on the task at hand. Not to mention, once I've gotten through numerous late night talk show clips on YouTube I have officially become, yet another, victim of click bait and I will end up ignoring all of my responsibilities to let the YouTube black hole swallow me right up. And, no, Netflix is not an option. The urge of starting a new series and binge-watching into the early hours of the morning that comes with Netflix is definitely the reason why it's the worst idea.
Instead, stand up from whatever desk, chair, beanbag you may be sitting on and walk away. Reinvigorate yourself by chugging a glass of some refreshing H2O, or fix up a snack. The energy that you'll get back from satisfying your cravings, no matter how unhealthy they may be, will give you the boost that you'll need in order to get back to creating kickass material. Feed your tummy so that your brain has one less thing to worry about.
2. Pick a playlist and turn it up.
Some people really thrive once they've had a good dance party, and who has two thumbs and a Spotify premium account? Me. If you're not one to ditch technology in an effort to unblock the flow of imagination in your brain, pick a really upbeat, dancey playlist and turn it way up. Music is an incredible form of expression and with the right songs and artists you could find yourself gravitating towards a certain mood, whether it be lively, ominous, or powerful. Grab anybody around and dance it out for a few good songs because this form of exercise can get your heart rate up and get the blood flowing. It's just like in the days of standardized testing when the proctors tell you to stand up and move around during the breaks, it's to get you loosened up and ready to tackle the next thing coming your way. So, if you've got an '80s throwback playlist going, you might as well take a cue from Lady Gaga and just dance.
3. Journal.
When I say journaling as a way to unblock writer's block, I mean writing down any words that come to your head. And I mean any. If you happen to be a journaling fanatic like myself, just pick up your trusty book of secrets and write anything that pops into your beautiful mind. Eventually, all of this nonsensical writing will get out the junk that seems to be lingering around and you'll get back to the serious stuff without random thoughts about how much Donald Trump's lips look like a wrinkled asshole or which guy JoJo's going to pick on "The Bachelorette." I find that when I go through my journal entries, most of the pages are littered with haphazard scribbles, rather than lines filled with my deepest, darkest secrets. Trust me, writing down unwanted, design-less ideas will help you get everything organized into their rightful place. And you never know, some of the ridiculous things you jot down into your journal might become the next, best thing -- if you ever defeat this first round of writer's block.
4. Decide on what you want to focus on.
I know this sounds kind of obvious, but I always find myself trying to write about five different things at once. This happens without fail, and I have a million and one unfinished projects because once I start on project A, I find myself drifting to projects B, C, and D. If you find yourself still having trouble with overflowing thoughts, even after journaling all of the excess away, stick with the one thing that you feel the most passionate about.
Make yourself narrow down all of the possibilities by choosing the one that allows you to write, or create, without multiple stagnant moments. Usually, when I've started a few articles, I abandon the ones that don't ever get a good, continuous flow of writing from me. It's a way to judge how much you can actually put into your piece without a whole bunch of fluff -- y'know all of those unnecessary, unwanted filler words that don't have a place in your writing. Stick with what you know, with what you're enthusiastic about and temporarily neglect the started projects that you'll finish later -- or not. Regardless of how awesome you think one piece will be, don't overlook the one that will, inevitably, be the stronger of the two.
5. Move on.
In relation to #4, if you find yourself writing about something and you become mentally blocked beyond the point of no return, abandon it completely. If you find yourself this far gone, you're writing about the wrong subject. Either you're not finding the proper inspiration to continue on or you can only conjure up one solid paragraph without struggling, you aren't writing about the right topic. In creative writing, the introduction always seems to be the trickiest part, personally.
I find myself writing seven beginnings to one story at a time because the first section sets up the rest of the piece. If I can't seem to establish the voice that I want in one version, I drop it and move on to the next. I find that I'll jump from an optimistic tone in version A and have version B be the polar opposite. If you're just not patient enough to go through the other tips for mentally unblocking yourself, just move along until you find the topic that clicks. I promise, there will be a part of you that clicks into place and all of the pieces fall where they need to land and that, my friends, is when you've conquered your writer's block -- until next time.
