When I was in elementary school, I plastered poems all around the house and scribbled stories for my favorite teachers to read. Middle school introduced me to my love for language and journalism, and high school was where I truly became confident in identifying myself as a poet. Today, I write weekly for the Odyssey and am going to have a larger role in my college’s literary magazine when I return in the fall. With all of this being said, I believe it is understandable when I characterize myself as a writer. Writing has been something constant throughout my life, and sometimes I believe it is one of the only things I am proficient at!

Although writing used to come easily to me in my younger years, I have recently found myself deterred time and time again by the phenomenon known as “writer’s block”. The concept of “writer’s block” may sound like an excuse to avoid work, but it is something very real that can hinder even the most eager artists. Writer’s block makes me stagnant as a writer because I become incapable of creating even a single sentence. However, through trial and error, I have found a few ways to get over the initial slump of writer's block and to set any aspiring writer back on track. Some options to try are to...

1. Make it a date.

This is one of my personal favorite tactics to try because it combines my favorite things, which is creativity and close friends. I have a friend who is simultaneously an incredible confidant and poet, and we frequently swap stories about our writing and the trials and tribulations that may come with it. Recently, we both went out to town with notebooks in our hands, and the time that I spent just sitting and talking with this friend got me inspired to almost fully complete one poem. We are both looking forward to spending even more time together, and I personally cannot wait to see them again and to write even more. I would recommend that any struggling writer attempt this because for the simple price of a notebook and a writing utensil, you can produce priceless art and memories!

2. Set a schedule.

This strategy was very effective for me during my freshman year of college. Every morning, after I stumbled out of bed but before I traversed to class, I set my phone timer for fifteen minutes and just wrote whatever came to mind on my laptop. Although I will admit I missed a few days here and there, I always managed to come up with something by the time my alarm went off. After consecutive days of hard work and fine-tuning, I managed to find enticing prompt lines and even full poems that I never would have written otherwise. In the midst of my hectic schedule, this constant schedule was usually a source of relaxation, and I could always continue the rest of my day with pride after I looked back on what I had accomplished.

3. Try something new.

While I have experimented with many different poetic styles in the past, I tend to always revert back to free verse poetry. I enjoy the lack of constraints and lack of editing needed to produce a free verse poem, but sometimes, I ironically become held back by the infinite opportunities that are available. Whenever I feel like I have written the same poem over and over again, I like to switch up my style and test my prowess with a different form of poetry. Some other forms of poetry that have really resonated with me include sonnets, cinquains, and pantoums. You can even experience new art forms to get you inspired, such as paintings, sculptures, music, and theater.

4. Be kind to yourself.

It is important to remember that you being unable to write anything powerful right now does not mean you will never be able to write anything powerful again. Whenever I experience writer's block, my mood tends to take a toll because I compare myself to more dedicated writers, I believe I cannot call myself a writer anymore, and I harshly criticize anything that I do end up writing (which only fuels the fire). It is perfectly okay to take a break from writing and to physically remove yourself from the piece that is causing you distress. Whenever I take a break, I like to reassure myself by going through a list of pre-made mantras. While everyone's coping mechanisms are different, I think that it is important to reassure yourself that you are unique, you are talented, and your creative voice deserves to be heard, no matter how long it takes.

5. Remember why you write in the first place. 

When all else fails, taking a trip down memory lane can give you that nostalgia that you need to craft a perfectly poignant line. For me, I remember writing my first poem when I was six years old; I referenced this poem in my college essay and it showed me how far I had come throughout the years. Today, I like to think about the opportunities that writing has given me throughout my life. I do this by thinking about my two favorite teachers from high school, seeing my name in print for the first time, going to the National Poetry Slam in Decatur with my dad, getting a poetry group of some of the most talented people I know together in my senior year of high school, and so many other wonderful writing-related memories. No matter how you became a writer, it can be universally agreed upon that the process of becoming a writer is something worthwhile, and reflecting upon that very process can be enough to motivate you.

Writer's block happens to the very best of us, so try not to get too discouraged if it happens to you. It is simply another metaphorical bump in the road, so take some time to yourself to relax, then start fresh with a productive plan. Good luck to anyone out there struggling with writer's block; I have faith that you will create something soon!