What is Writing Block?
Writing Block is staring at a blank page for hours, trying with everything in you to come out with a single word but just can’t. All writers struggle with it from creative writers to journalists, it is normal. Even the most experienced writers suffer from it. J.K Rowling famously struggled with writing the later Harry Potter books.
I have just finished one of my favorite writing books to date The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Excellent book, pick one up. Pressfield talks about Resistance as a looming force over the creative stopping them from doing what they love, so basically the entity for writing block.
Understanding Writer’s Block
Ironically I started the above section on the 20th of August 2023 and I am starting this bit on the 11th of September over three weeks later. So I think I have a smidge of the idea of what this resistance entity looks like. I can only speak from my experience, but writing block looks like this;
- Knowing you ‘should’ be writing but just shrug it off
- Paralysed whenever you are trying to write
- Always manage to get distracted when you mean to write
- Say you are a writer, read writing books, reading writer’s block articles. . . . , listening to writing podcasts to trick yourself into thinking you’re doing something when in reality you haven’t written a single word on any of your projects in nearly a month
This at least is what I have experienced and I wanted to share with you some strategies I have trialed to combat this paralysis.
1. Why so serious?
I think my biggest problem is mystifying the act of writing too much making it out to be something greater than it is, I have combatted this by setting a time to write every day and just for 10 minutes I pump something out, whether that a journal entry, an idea of a creature for a horror short-story or just the words ‘I’m bored’ for the duration of the time. Eventually, I decided that enough was enough, I would write.
So don’t be so serious, it’s not your fault, Writing’s supposed to be fun, enjoy yourself
2. Use writing prompts
I have only recently started my writing journey but what gets me the most excited is writing prompts. They’re everywhere you can find them on Reddit, Pinterest, and Quora. I would recommend just searching for writing prompts scrolling through till one tickles your fancy and just right a sentence, then see if you can do one more and just keep going.
Find a prompt and see where it takes you
3. Read, watch, absorb
I have a goal to read 60 books this year I am just about halfway through and I find reading is one of if not the best ways to get inspired to write yourself. But reading is not the only way to get this also watch movies and shows as well. Even watching terrible content can be extremely motivating, I find if I watch a bad movie I am so motivated to write a better story, that it gets the writing juices flowing.
Read widely, watch movies consume terrible stories, and you’ll want to do better
In Conclusion. . .
Here are my 3 main tips to overcome writer’s block;
- Don’t be so serious, write literally whatever
- Find a prompt and let that generate momentum
- Consume lots of stories
If you liked this post check out some of my others;
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