Sometimes, staring at the white void of an empty word document doesn't spark the inspiration you'd wish it did. Just as well, the muses won't answer your pleas for inspiration and you end up typing "help" over and over just to get something on the page. Especially with the majority of us being well into the school year, we find ourselves crashing into a hard, grey writer's block that lies between us and that illustrious short story for our University's creative writing publication. So, without further ado, here are five ways you can shatter that writer's block into a million pieces.
1. Write a Letter
I learned this one from the Creative Writing Camp I attended over the summer in high school. In this camp, we'd be given prompts and then allotted around an hour to write a poem or short story in response to it. For a bunch of dorky soon-to-be high school sophomores and juniors, this could seem very daunting— so he introduced us to this trick for times of absolute panic. Although I never had to write a letter at camp (it was a really chill environment), I found it incredibly useful for the times I had the itch to write but couldn't When composing your letter, don't just write for people you know personally— write to Chris Hemsworth, Thor himself, or anyone, really. Because I'm such a nerd, in times of duress I've found myself writing to Emily Dickinson about how hard it is to open up to people as well as to Oscar Wilde about how he didn't deserve to go to prison yet survived it fabulously!
2. Make a List
It's simple: pick a topic, then list out five things in relation to it. For example, say you want to make a list and really like the ocean. Under the word "ocean," you write, "starfish, mermaid, seaweed, sunshine, and family." If you had trouble figuring out what to write about, then you have five words you can write about! Personally, I find this method works best when you write it by hand so that you really FEEL the words.
3. Read something you think is good (aloud)
Maya Angelou, in an interview with the Paris review, had said that she would have the bible next to her as she wrote. In response, the interviewer asked if this was to have God's Guidance as she wrote, and Angelou boomed with her deep, rich voice that it was so she could hear good language. She said that she liked hearing writer's before she wrote to help her envision her future writing and inspire her. Similarly, I find myself reading some of her work to inspire me after listening to the Paris review's recreation of this interview.
4. Take a Walk
Shannon Solley
This one may seem more of a distraction rather than a shatterer of writer's block but hear me out— it may just be the one that works for you! Maybe you've just had a fight with your ex or drank four cups of coffee; either way, you're all jittery and find it hard to sit still and concentrate. Here's where the walking comes in, you walk off all your thoughts and energy to return more relaxed and ready to write!
5. Add to something else you’ve written
Sometimes it can be difficult to start a piece that's completely new, so I find it easier to just draw upon the various works I've left. This one is more straightforward, but may be harder because some of us may not have prior writings to work with— especially if we're just budding into the writing world. If you find yourself in that situation, then grab the first few lines of a book you consider to be good, and write from there.
Regardless of the source of your writer's block, these methods are sure to alleviate that disease which comes at the most inconvenient times.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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