Sitting at your desk, staring at a blank Word document, unsure where to begin or how to even type. Your mind is racing in a million directions and yet you can't pinpoint a single thought. You are lost in your own mind, trying to figure out how to put words to paper. Nothing is sticking; it's like throwing spaghetti at a wall. Noodles are your thoughts falling to the ground in a slap of marinara sauce and a mess you don't want to clean up.
You ponder what will make your sentences flow and how to even get a current started. Nothing but still water waiting for your hands to create waves.
Here are a few ways to get your gears working again.
Listen to music.
Listen to the way the singer pieces their words together to create a melody. Find the literary tools they use to portray their focus. Or just lose yourself in the sound of music. A distraction could be one of the best sources of spontaneous ideas going off in your head like a light bulb.
Trying a writing prompts book.
Books like "300 More Writing Prompts" can strike inspiration like a match. They present questions when you had nothing in mind. It implants a new idea without you lifting a finger. Plus, these books are great to better your writing skills.
Walk away.
Walk away from the laptop or notebook. Set it aside and return later when you have something to go off of. I'm not saying to procrastinate. I am stating that you should not force these words out of your mouth. The writing flows from the mind without thought. Come back to the page when you are ready.
Pitch ideas to your friends or receive feedback.
One great way to tackle a problem is to ask for help. Sometimes getting a second or third opinion on something can help you formulate the perfect thought. Bouncing ideas off of your friends is not only fun at the time, but also incredibly beneficial to your creating a masterpiece all will enjoy.
Discover your prime writing time.
For me, I have learned that my mind becomes more imaginative and detailed at night. As I'm drifting off to sleep is usually when my best ideas strike. Which can also be unfortunate if I'm dozing and lose it all together after I sleep through the night. I don't ever recommend staying up the late hours of the night when the world is asleep, but if that's what works for you -- go for it.
Writer's block is a hurdle we all hate to jump. The anticipation is deadly and the possibility of writing your fall could hurt. However, I say embrace the mind block and work off of it. It's how I came to write this article. I was struggling with writer's block for this post and look, I've twisted my pause into an article. Writer's block doesn't have to feel like there's a brick wall preventing you to get to the other side. Learn to use that wall or wait til you conjure a plan of action before you can reach the other side. It's a game of patience and trust me, I am not patient. The inevitable writer's block can be defeated with patience and possibly a distraction for the time being until you can run at it head first.
