Every week for Odyssey, we as creators have to write an article every week. Well, after a while, you start to run out of ideas - it happens to even the best of us! Suddenly, we're sometimes hit with the worst of the worst: Writer's Block. Whether if it's for writing papers, articles, creative writing, etc., Writer's Block hits all of us like a pile of bricks.
As a result of my Writer's Block that I experienced this past week regarding the article you are currently reading, I came up with 8 stages that even the best of writers go through once in a while:
1) Knuckle-Cracking
You finally decide to take a crack at that writing assignment due soon, so you sit down in front of your computer thinking you can knock out 750 words with absolutely no problem.
2) Absolutely Nothing
You've stared at your blank Word document for quite a while now and NOTHING is coming to mind - not a single word or idea.
3) Google
*types in "ideas for [insert topic here]" into Google but ultimately not finding anything*
4) Taking a "Break"
You've successfully tried to write your essay by a) Googling ideas and b) staring at your screen, so that means you deserve a break, right???
5) This Sucks
After being distracted for a couple hours by eating, showering, finishing that knitting, coloring, watching a show, being on Instagram for 3 hours, and maybe doing the dishes... You finally sit down to write! But, everything you end up typing sounds like a 3-year-old wrote it. *cue frustration*
6) Begging for Ideas
You end up calling your friends or family members for any advice or ideas so you can just get started and get out of this stupid Writer's Block that you're experiencing!!!!
7) The All-Nighter
At this point, it's looking like you're going to be up all night just thinking of an idea, let alone writing it!
8) Out-of-Nowhere Stroke of Inspiration
SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE, YOUR BRAIN BLESSES YOU WITH AN IDEA. And not just any idea, but the BEST idea. How could you have not thought about this earlier?? This stroke of genius usually hits you in the absolute middle of nowhere and it automatically snaps you out of your writer's block!
I think we can all agree that Writer's Block is the absolute worst thing that can happen to a college student, especially because we want to spend all that wasted time thinking of our eventual idea doing other fun or productive things. But, hey, that moment after an idea strikes and you type your heart and soul out actually turns out to be one of the best.
