There you are, sitting in your hard wooden chair, hands hovering over the keyboard ready to strike... Any second now, the idea will pop into your head. So you wait, eyes glued to the empty screen, willing your mind to come up with an idea. Whether you're writing for a blog, or trying to complete a creative writing assignment, everyone has felt the tortures of writer's block. Here are a few ways to beat it:
1. Free Writing
This is an exercise I learned in high school. Before starting a paper, you should take thirty minutes to simply write anything and everything that comes to your mind. It doesn't matter what you put on paper, so long as your pen is moving non-stop for the entire thirty minutes. From my experience, the outcome is usually a disordered mess of incoherent ideas, but somewhere within that mess is an idea... the beginning of a paper.
2. Take A Shower
Some people say their best ideas come to them in the shower. Personally, my mind benefits more from going on jog. What ever you choose to do, find a task that allows you to clear your mind.
3. Write for yourself
Ambition is always a good trait to have, however it can be daunting when you put so much pressure on yourself especially as a writer. There is no doubt that writing in-and-of itself is a difficult thing, there's no need to make it harder. Find a topic you are passionate about just write for yourself.
4. Resist Facebook and other social media
As tempting as this is, DO NOT go on Facebook. Some people may disagree with me saying that social media is a place full of ideas. While this is true sometimes, I also think it is a bit unrealistic to go on Facebook with the goal of finding inspiration. Social media is more of a distraction than an aid, and should be particularly avoided at this time. But I can only speak from my experience.
5. Sleep on it
This is similar to the advice given in number two. Sometimes, when we try to think too hard about something, we often end up getting nowhere. Everyone knows that getting enough sleep is very important. Not only does it allow your body and mind to rejuvenate itself, but sleep also allows us to process ideas and memories from the day.
