Earlier this week, I sat down to begin writing an article. I went through my entire routine. I got coffee, put on some music, grabbed my laptop, opened a Word document, and then nothing. I was completely out of ideas on anything to talk about. The dreaded curse of writer’s block had taken its hold on me. This happens to myself more than I care to admit, but it is something I think all writers and creative people suffer from frequently. Sometimes it occurs before you even start creating, and sometimes you are halfway done with your creation and your mind goes blank. What can one do in this situation? I thought about this, and I thought about what I normally do when I run out of ideas, so I decided to share some of the things I do to help get my creative juices flowing again.
1. Take A Walk.
Einstein, among many others, was famous for taking walks when he needed to work out complex problems in his head. He would take long walks on the beach to just think about his work up to that point and try to find solutions to his problems. I like this idea a lot, especially for people who are creative. Inspiration can come from anywhere and taking a walk can help open your mind to new possibilities.
2. Play a Game, read a book, etc.
All of my ideas are inspired by something, and a lot of times the things that inspire me are the things I like, such as, video games, comics, movies, etc. If you are stuck with writer’s block, taking a break and doing something else you enjoy can help get your gears turning. You may see something in a book or film that sparks your creative fire and pushes you past your dilemma.
3. Writer More.
There are times when I am writing that I have a good idea set up. This could be a scene for a film, a character, or a setting, but I don’t have any way to continue past that initial idea. Sometimes I am filled with, what I think are, dumb ideas for ways to continue this story, but I can’t think of any good ideas. However, sometimes just writing those dumb ideas down can help turn them into a good story. Things usually sound better in your head, but occasionally getting them down on paper can help you make better sense of it all. Also, this can help get your brain off of the ideas you don’t like, and it can now focus on different ideas.
4. Have a Conversation.
The old saying is still true today, two heads are better than one. It never hurts to run your idea or story by another person to get their take on it. They can usually offer some great feedback and having another opinion other than your own can help you better understand what direction to take. Also, that person may have the answer to the problem that is hindering your writing. It can never hurt to ask for some advice.
5. Take a Nap.
I think most of us would agree that naps are great, but they can help with writers block too. In my opinion, a nap (or just sleeping in general) allows for a reset on the creative process. Taking a nap can help reboot your system and get rid of the cumbersome ideas blocking creativity. Also, a brilliant idea could come to you in a dream and propel your writing forward. Dreams can help craft extremely interesting stories.
These are just some things I do to help with my writer’s block. I am sure there are dozens and dozens of other tips to check out, and there are probably a lot here that sound peculiar to people. The fact is, everyone is different and have different methods for tackling writer’s block, but maybe this will aid in someone’s struggle.
