Staring at the Wall: Overcoming Writer’s Block

For close to two weeks now I have been sitting around staring a blank pieces of paper, wishing that I had something to write about.  I had a couple of ideas rattling around in my head, but couldn’t really seem to get anywhere with them.  A couple of sentences was all that I could muster before becoming frustrated or bored.  The good news is that I had an excellent writing teacher who gave me some tried and true ways to get back into the writing groove.  If you are struggling to find something worth writing about, give these a shot and you will find the writing bug again before you know it!

Stop Writing

Ask most writers why they haven’t been able to churn out any new material and they will often reply, “I can’t write.”  While most of us view Writers Block as the inability to write, it is actually the inability for us to write freely.  It is, in its entirety, us trying to force ourselves to be creative when we aren’t in the right setting/mind frame to do so.  Although it may seem counterproductive, the first thing that you must do to get over Writers Block is to stop trying to force the words to fall from your pen.  Take the pressure off of yourself, and take some time to relax.

Read a Book

If you are trying to be a top-notch writer, you also need to be an avid reader.  Reading will help to open your mind and allow your imagination to take hold.  Sometimes, all we need to spur on our own creativity is to emurse ourselves in someone else’s.  Find a book that you know you will love reading (even if you’ve already read it a hundred times) and let go.

Get Up to Speed With Current Events

It is easiest for us to write about what we know, and the only way to know anything is to be aware of what is around us.  Rather than trying to force a story to form in your mind begin looking at the local, national and global news.  Good plot lines are all around you if you care to look and some of the things that happen in real life are stranger and more fascinating than anything you could come up on your own anyway!  A great writing exercise is to take a basic story from your local news, and expand on the article with your own exaggerated telling. 

Ask Friends and Family What They Want to Read

A lot of writers-block comes from a roadblock in our minds.  There are times when we simply can’t think of any more ideas.  Rather than beating yourself up, ask the people you know what topics interest them.  Have a conversation about what they enjoy reading about, and have them make a list for you.  You just might be amazed at what they come up with!

Journal

I’m not normally one to suggest maintaining a journal or diary, but often writing about the mundane helps us to get back into the groove.  Try keeping a journal for a few days in which you write about the activities in your daily life.  After you have a few days of notes, go back through them and turn it into a story.  This is a very basic and easy way to construct a framework to build around.  Take the time to fill in descriptions of feelings, sights, sounds and smells.  Even though it may not turn into an award winning novel, your story may help to give you a bump in the right direction.

Don’t Be Discouraged

Even if you’ve got a block that has lasted for days, weeks or months; don’t allow yourself to get discouraged.  Creative work takes a lot out of us and sometimes we have a dry spell while our minds and souls recuperate.  Keep a positive outlook and know that your desire and ability to write will return, and while you are experiencing a lack of inspiration take the time to enjoy the world around you.  What you experience today may become a great masterpiece tomorrow!

I hope that these steps will help you out when you are having difficulty coming up with new ideas, plots and descriptions.  They have certainly helped me over the years, and I am forever thankful to my teacher for showing me that a momentary lapse in motivation and creativity does not have to mean the abandonment of an idea; instead it is just a mental pause while we collect and prepare ourselves to embrace it.

Read More by Denise Kawaii:
Writing a Winning Resume
What To Do When You Are Being Downsized