For the past few days I've stared blankly at my computer screen, unable to string a single sentence together. Here are the 6 methods I used to get through it.
1. Brainstorm
When you can't seem to zero in on a topic or direction to take with your writing, explore all the possibilities! No idea is too outlandish. By putting all of your ideas on paper, you give yourself a mental map of ideas. This makes it easier to weed out the bad and focus on the good. Plus, maybe one of your more risky ideas actually has a lot of potential! Seeing things written out makes them much easier to tackle.
When I couldn't decide on an article topic, I listed a bunch of things I could write about. There is a very messy note in my phone with dozens of half-baked headline ideas and rambling blurbs. For me though, brainstorming wasn't working this time. It just seemed to confirm that my head was a mess and I would never be able to write anything again, ever. So, I moved on to…
2. Talk About It
Showing someone else your creative ideas can be terrifying, but sometimes you just need to talk it out. Find a willing guinea pig who might have some ideas and let loose. Vent your frustration, talk about what you might end up writing, and verbally go through all the ways you could fail. Most likely, your guinea pig will have some input. It is absolutely fine to ignore that input.
Talking isn't usually about getting a second opinion, it's more about verbally working through the block on your own. I think of it like holding on to someone's shoulder while I fix my shoe. The person is an important part of the process, but they aren't doing the fixing and I don't expect them to.
This time, talking didn't work for me either. My guinea pigs were very chatty, so I didn't make it through my process before getting distracted. I needed a better tactic.
3. Walk Away
Sometimes, the best way to write is to not write at all. Close your laptop (or your notebook if that's your thing) and get it out of your sight. I like going for a walk, doing some cleaning, or maybe going shopping if the situation is especially dire. Whatever you choose to do, it's helpful to leave the room and focus on something else completely.
When talking about it didn't work for me, I totally shifted my focus. I spent time with my family, went out to eat, and ignored my rapidly approaching deadline. It definitely loosened up those writing muscles, but my work wasn't done yet.
4. Procrastinate
No, really!
This is a risky gambit, but I find that the longer I wait to write something, the better it sounds in the end. If you're a person who works well under pressure, this might be the move for you. If you panic and freeze when under pressure, do not attempt this.
Here, I should probably apologize to my editors. Sorry this article is late. As you can see, I had a bit of trouble.
I do feel like putting it off gave me more time to mull over my options, and what I would have written two days ago would not have been as good as what I'm writing now.
5. Write About It
When I'm getting really frustrated with any aspect of life, I write about it. That even applies to writing itself. If you just can't get words on the page, start ranting! It doesn't even have to be grammatically correct, just start writing about how you feel. Here's a sample of my own rant writing.
"dfhailwbiahwbfliabrlbaritbiasbrfinawreilhawe this sucksssssssss What do I even write about when I can't even think in words askubabiahiwaurbta stupid brain make the sentencessssssssssssss-"
This frenzied typing will inevitably turn into actual sentences as you try to clarify your thoughts.
"-ssssssssss I mean like I know there are things in the world I can write about it's just that I cant heckin' pick one how dumb is that just pick a topic, Gabie, you know stuff!! Maybe I could write about immigration. I would have to do research for that though there's no time! Just heckin do it! Heck!"
Which brings us to our last tactic:
6. Just Do It
Remember that all a first draft has to do is exist. You can write as robotically as you want, just put something down that you can revise later.
This is really hard to do if you're a perfectionist or if you like planning your work out. It might help to view your messy first draft as planning. It's part of the process of making something perfect, but it is not the final product.
This is kind of what I had to do. The deadline came and went, and I had to get something down.
Ta-da!
